The New Order
by padfootjr24
Summary: After the events of fifth year Dumbledore decides that the Order needs to make some changes. Changes that will bring them all closer to the enemy than ever before. Please r
1. Restructuring

Reposted on 11/8/05

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter One: Restructuring**

Harry Potter was lying in his bed in the smallest bedroom in number four Privet Drive while his mind was awash with conflicting thoughts. He had returned from Hogwarts three weeks before and had yet to leave his room for any amount of time except to use the bathroom.

First and foremost on his mind was the death of his godfather, Sirius Black, who had been killed by his own cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, at the end of Harry's fifth year. Every night his dreams were plagued with images of Sirius falling through the veil in the Department of Mysteries in a battle that should never have happened. A battle that Harry believed that he himself had caused. Though there are many that could rightfully be blamed for this outcome, such as Dumbledore for not pressing the urgency for Harry to learn Occlumency and trusting Snape off all people to teach him, he shouldered the full weight himself. True, it was Bellatrix that had killed him and it was Voldemort that had ordered the attack, but it was Harry that had been tricked into leaving the safety of the Hogwarts grounds.

Harry suddenly shot out of his bed and rested his head in his hands as he tried to suppress many painful memories as a lone tear made its way down his cheek. Through the first weeks of summer his friends had tried to get him to open up and discuss what he is truly feeling but the repetition of these letters had only served to piss Harry off. After ten years with the Dursley's, before going to Hogwarts, he was used to hiding his pain from the world and it would take more than a few concerned letters to get him to open up and release it.

While rubbing the tears out of his eyes he looked up to hear tapping on his window. Looking over at his desk he noticed that Hedwig was not in her cage and figured she must be returning from hunting. Opening the window to let her in he was met by only one sight, the cool night of Privet Drive. Looking around in confusion he began to get a really bad feeling.

"Lemon drop?" An old voice asked from in front of him as a candy dish suddenly appeared directly before him, hovering outside his window.

"Arrgggg!" Harry yelled as he stumble back, tripping over his desk chair and falling heavily to the floor with a loud thump. Looking up from his position on the floor Harry glared at the space he knew his unwanted guest occupied. Without missing a beat the man lowered his invisibility charms to reveal Albus Dumbledore sitting comfortably on a broom just outside of Harry's window. With his eyes semi closed in a relaxed state he slowly drifted in while bobbing his head, humming to himself and sucking on a lemon drop.

"What the hell are you doing here"? Harry snapped as he picked himself off the floor. This seemed to snap Dumbledore out of his 'lemon drop induced euphoria'. Snapping his eyes open he looked at Harry and regarded him with a critical eye for a few moments before 'hopping' off his broom.

"Ah, you must be Harry. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said extending a hand. Harry for his part was looking at the old man in confusion and with more than a little suspicion. Seeing this, the old man simply chuckled.

"Forgive me, I am Aberforth Christopher Ramsley Allen Dumbledore, Albus is my twin brother." The old man said with a smile. Harry for his part seemed to go into shock and simply stood there for a few minutes before finally finding something to say.

"Oh shit, there's two of them." He muttered to himself as he shook off his shock.

"Yes indeed there are." Aberforth Dumbledore said with a laugh. "But I did not come here to simply introduce myself. I have come to collect you and bring you to Hogwarts for a meeting so start packing."

"If I am only going for a meet than why do I have to pack?" Harry asked with a little reluctance. Sure he wanted to know what was going on but he was not sure he was ready to face even his friends right now much less Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape who he blamed partly for Sirius' death. The old man who was the spitting image of his headmaster surveyed him with a knowing and understanding eye.

"You will have to face them sooner or later. Or is it later rather than sooner? Either way you will have to face them sometime in the future, it might as well be now." He finished with a sweep of his wand and all of Harry's possessions found their way back into his trunk. "Now, this portkey will take us directly inside of Albus' office, so whenever you are ready." He said as he pulled a red and gold phoenix feather out from the folds of his robe. Grimacing as he thought about how much he detested portkeys Harry held one handle of his trunk and used his free hand to place a finger on the portkey. Feeling the pull behind his navel, he wanted to throw up as everything began to twist and turn and in no time at all his feet slammed into the stone floor inside the headmaster's office.

Holding his balance by grasping on to Aberforth's shoulder, Harry took a look around and recognized a lot of faces. Many of the professors were present such as McGonagall, Snape and little professor Flitwick. Other Order members present were Tonks, Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus Lupin, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Mundungus Fletcher. There were four others that he did not know. However he did know a few others present. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna were sitting together, on a couch that ran across the side wall next to Dumbledore's desk, and looking decidedly nervous. There were other students there as well but none that he knew very well.

"Ah, Harry, glad that you could make it. Please have a seat." Professor Dumbledore said with a smile and a sweep of his hand as two more chairs were conjured for the two newest arrivals. Mrs. Weasley, Remus and his friends looked about ready to jump to their feet and rush to Harry but Professor Dumbledore's voice stopped them.

"I am sure some of you would like to spend some time with each other and get reacquainted but I must ask that this wait. We have much to discuss and much to plan. First off while in these meetings we will be on a first name basis, partly due to the fact that my brother Aberforth here is taking up the Defense position for the coming term and addressing us both as Professor Dumbledore might get a bit confusing." He explained with a smile. Hermione, for her part, looked absolutely scandalized that he would suggest such a thing. In her view addressing a superior by anything less than their rightful title just wasn't done.

"Now all of you are a member or at least aware to a certain degree of the Order of the Phoenix. Some of you have parents or siblings who are or once were a part of this organization. In the last war with Voldemort we were able to run primarily a defensive campaign, and we saved a lot of lives and took many prisoners." At this point everyone in the room was looking at the aged headmaster wondering where this conversation was going and many of the adults were wondering why he was speaking of the Order with so many students present.

"However it quickly became clear within the last month that this time around we will accomplish very little with these same tactics. So what I am planning is a complete restructuring of the Order with all of you as its leadership class." As anyone can imagine this caused an immediate uproar from a few of those adults present.

"WHAT? Albus you can not be seriously considering allowing them to join the Order at their age. They're only children for Merlin's sake?" Molly Weasley screamed as Snape began muttering to himself about egotistical Potters.

"I assure you Molly that I am quite serious. These are very dangerous times and they must be ready to face them. In case you haven't noticed my dear, over the last several years these 'children' have spoiled more of Voldemort's plans and captured more Death Eaters than most Aurors three times their age. They may be young in years but what they lack in age they make up for in experience."

"But it's too dangerous!" She pleaded as she knew she had lost the argument. To everyone's surprise it was Harry and not Dumbledore that answered.

"Mrs. Weasley I know you are just trying to protect us but that is not something that you or anyone else can do all the time. To protect ourselves to the best of our abilities we need to know what is going on. Voldemort has been after me since day one and the others simply because they are close to me, we are already involved more than most people in the Order. Shutting us out now will only do harm." He finished looking the only mother he had ever known in the eye. He saw her eyes begin to fill with tears and her bottom lip began to tremble as she rushed forward and wrapped him in a suffocating hug while sobbing into his shoulder.

"I don't want any of you to get hurt!" She gasped out as she stepped back and began wiping her eyes. "Sorry, I was just being stupid." She said as she sat back down. Harry had sat quietly throughout the argument watching his headmaster closely to try and figure out why he suddenly changed his mind about letting him join the Order. His face showed confusion and suspicion until Dumbledore spoke of their experience and he quickly remembered the prophecy. The last few weeks he spent so much time thinking about Sirius that he did not give it a second thought. He was not allowing them to join the Order because of their past adventures or their experience against Voldemort but because they needed to know. They needed to GAIN experience. One look into the old man's eyes told him all he needed to know. He believed Harry needed this, not to kill Voldemort, not to fulfill the prophecy, but to live his life beyond this war. And not for the first time Harry felt a great amount of gratitude for the man.

"Alright back to the topic at hand. Although the Ministry has publicly accepted Voldemort's return, Fudge refuses to take the steps necessary to combat him. He believes that the Ministry, as it is, is capable of defending the magical world. So it will be left up to us to take the fight to Voldemort. Much of what we will be doing will be both highly dangerous and illegal. From my recently re-acquired position as head of the Wizengamont I will be able to smooth over many of our actions as well as lead any investigations in the wrong direction.

Over the next three days each and every one of you will be paired up with another in this room or with another that was unable to make it here tonight. You will be paired according to your strengths and weaknesses. What skills you lack your partner may be proficient and able to easily help you. Each pair will be in charge of different teams that are responsible for certain aspects of our operation such as strategy and intelligence. Three days from now we will have a full Order meeting with every member present. At that time the other members will be divided into their different teams. You students in our group will be trained by the rest of us from now on and it will be your responsibility to train your specific teams. Are there any questions so far?"

"Yes Proff... Err Albus. Is the next meeting going to be here or at Grimmauld Place?" Ginny asked while blushing a bit for calling her headmaster by his given name.

"Our meetings will be here Ginerva." He replied and chuckled at the outraged look she gave him for using her full name. "Grimmauld Place is now being used primarily as a safe house. Although once school begins again we will have to find a more secure meeting place since my office is only so big." Harry went into deep thought about this problem and inner battle with himself about the reactions of the others towards his idea.

"I might have an idea about that?" He said and everyone was looking at him before he even realized he had said that out loud.

"Oh?"

"Yeah give me a little while to check it out. Remus, Moody, come with me." Harry said as he stood and walked to the door. Before closing the door behind him he turned back. "Fawkes, you too." Everyone was surprised when Fawkes obediently followed and landed on Harry's shoulder. The two older men looked at each other in confusion for a moment before following after Harry leaving a silent and very confused office behind. The two men caught up with Harry when he was halfway down the corridor with a thoughtful and concerned expression on his face. Both Remus and 'Mad Eye' Moody followed Harry in silence as he made his way down to the second floor.

"Um, Harry, where are we going?" Remus asked as Harry was making his way into the girl's lavatory.

"Just come on." He replied as he slipped in the door. "Looks like Myrtle isn't here at the moment so hurry up."

"Who's Myrtle?" Remus asked in confusion. Harry could only look on in shock and indignation at this question.

"You mean the Marauders of all people never knew of this bathroom's secrets?" This critic brought a slight blush to the old pranksters face.

"Never bothered. Peter got locked in here once in our first year and all he found was an annoying whinny ghost."

"Well that doesn't matter, only a handful of people alive know this secret." Harry said as he turned towards the sinks while the two older men looked on in confusion. /Open up/ He hissed out in parseltongue causing his two companions to jump back in shock as the sink moved aside to reveal an opening large enough to enter.

"What the bloody hell is that?" Remus asked in shock.

"This is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. For various reasons Dumbledore and those of us that were involved with it during my second year decided to keep the location of the entrance a secret."

"Are you sure about this Potter? There's no telling want could be lurking down there." Moody said with only a faint trace of nervousness. Without bothering to answer Harry slid into the hole and began to make his decent into the bowels beneath the ancient castle of Hogwarts.

"Ah shit, come on!" Remus snapped as he quickly followed with Moody right behind him.

TBC

Top of Form


	2. Harvesting the New HQ

Reposted on 11/8/05

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Two: Harvesting the New HQ**

When Remus' feet impacted solid ground once again he quickly looked around at his surroundings with his wand raised. He could see that he was now inside a circular chamber with only one apparent exit besides the way he came in. He was a little disgusted to see the bones of many small animals scattered about his feet. Despite his shabby appearance Remus Lupin, Marauder, prankster extraordinaire was a serious neat freak. He was just thinking of the irony when a sudden movement to his left caught his attention. In one fluid motion he snapped his wand back up and spun around to be met with the grinning face of Harry Potter.

"Easy there big fella, we are the only two living souls down here." Harry said just before a muffled grunt was heard as Moody hit the ground after sliding through the entrance. "Ok, the three of us are the only living souls down here." He said with a cheeky grin as he watched 'Mad Eye' Moody's magical eye spin in its socket several times before resting on Harry.

"Satisfied that nothing is going to come out and eat you?" He asked the old battle scared Auror.

"Yes, where to Potter?"

"The main chamber is this way." He answered as he walked along the only available path. As they moved deeper into the Chamber of Secrets Harry could not help but remember how he felt over three years before when he first entered Salazar Slytherin's domain. The fear, the anxiety, the conflicting emotions of what would happen if he failed. What would happen if he succeeded?

He had not really thought of the time between parting with Ron and facing the memory of Tom Riddle in a long time, or if he ever thought about it at all. And he was surprised to realize that of all of his worries at that time he felt none for himself. He was scared yes, who wouldn't be. But his fears had rested with Ron, trapped on the other side of the cave in. With Ginny who at that moment was dying and with Hermione and every other student that had been petrified. So lost was he in his thoughts that he did not realize that he had stopped walking and that his two companions were 'attempting' to gain his attention. It was not until Remus had grabbed him by his shoulders to shake him that Harry snapped out of his thoughts.

"WHAT?" Harry snapped loudly as the ragged werewolf shook him.

"Well we have been trying to get your attention for several minutes now. You just stopped walking and had a blank look on your face." Remus explained with concern in his voice while Moody just grunted in annoyance. Looking up Harry realized he was now standing before the massive wrought iron door that led into the main chamber where a very big and very dead Basilisk still lay.

"Oh, sorry, I was just thinking about the last time I was down here." Harry explained with a sigh before continuing. "You might want to use a bubble head charm or something because after three years I'm sure it's a bit ripe in there."

"What, you mean that thing is still in there? Why didn't Albus take care of that?" Moody asked in confusion.

"How would he have been able to? The only known parselmouths are me and old snake-face. Dumbledore would have had no way of getting down here. I suspect that he didn't ask me to lead him down here because he thought it would have put undue emotional strain on me or some such psychological rubbish. But like I said, it will probably smell like hell by now so..."

"I don't think you need to worry about that Potter. Just go ahead and open the door." Harry looked extremely confused at Moody's statement but did not bother to question it and proceeded to open the massive door.

/_Open up_/ He hissed and was well aware of both Mad Eye and Remus cringing as they heard the hissing issuing from his mouth just before the groaning of the ancient door sounded all around them as it swung open.

MMM

It had taken a few moments but everyone managed to shake off their confusion over Harry's abrupt exit enough to get back down to business. Hermione, ever the one to go after information was the first to speak up.

"Professor you said that the..." She began but cut off after meeting Professor Dumbledore's eye. Sighing in resignation she corrected herself and continued. "Sorry, Albus, you said that the Ministry was taking no additional steps to combat You-Know-Who. Could you elaborate on that?"

"Certainly my dear. Despite seeing Voldemort with his own eyes Cornelius refuses to admit that there is a serious threat. He will not approve the recruitment and training of new Aurors. And many of those Aurors now employed by the Ministry have little to no experience fighting Death Eaters. Many high ranking officials have used Voldemort's return as a stepping stone to get their own laws passed that effectively strips many citizens of their rights simply because they are 'impure' or 'half breeds' such as werewolves, vampires, centaurs, veelas and giants. This pureblood rhetoric will be most effective in driving would be allies into the ranks of Voldemort's Death Eaters." To say that Hermione was down right infuriated with this explanation would have been the understatement of the year. However she held her tongue.

"I have a question sir." Another of the students spoke up. A young Slytherin girl by the name of Blaise Zabini.

"Yes Blaise?"

"You said that some of what we will be doing will be illegal. Just how illegal are we talking about?" The young woman asked with a sly grin. The tips of Dumbledore's mustache twitched as if he were about to grin himself but he held it back.

"Some of it concerns the training you will be given. As you know it is illegal for underage wizards and witches to learn to apperate, create portkeys and learn the animagus transformation. You will all learn all of this. When it comes to our actual operations it could mean any number of charges if we were to get caught. Trespassing, burglary, assault, kidnapping. Things of that nature."

"KIDNAPPING!" Hermione exclaimed in shock as she shot out of her seat. "Why the hell would we kidnap anyone?" She demanded as Ron look up at her in shock. Had he just heard Hermione 'goody goody' Granger swear.

"Granger, think about that for just a moment will you," Blaise began. What is with Slytherins always calling people by their last names? "If you were part of an organization, let's say the Order of the Phoenix, and you were fighting a dark wizard, oh lets call him Voldemort, and you and your colleagues kidnapped someone, who do you think it would probably be and for what reason?" She finished in a very sarcastic tone.

"Oh, never mind." Hermione mumbled as she sat back down with her eyes on the floor to hide her embarrassment.

"I would rather not have to resort to such tactics but with things as they are we really don't have much choice. We are going to need as much information as we can possibly get if we are to hit Voldemort where it hurts with enough force to make a difference." Albus explained quietly with regret but also with fierce determination.

MMM

"My god, this thing is enormous. This is a lot bigger than sixty feet, more like eighty five. You killed this thing when you were only twelve?" Remus said with awe.

"Hey, I was twelve. I have never been good with numbers. Someone could have told me it was only twenty feet long and I would have believed it. But why the hell isn't this thing rotting? It's been dead for three years but it looks fresh, except for being a bit dry." Harry said quietly in confusion. Moody heard his mumbled question and explained.

"You see Potter, a basilisk's venom runs throughout its body, every part of them. There are very few animals in the world that can eat any part of them and live and none of them would have been able to make it down here. Not even bacteria could survive on it. Therefore it takes a VERY long time for the body to break down." Harry listened to his explanation as he quickly surveyed his surrounding. He was standing less than ten feet from the massive beast and he felt a shiver run down his spine as his eyes locked on the spot that Ginny Weasley's dying body had laid. Still resting on the ground was the very fang the he himself had pulled out of his own arm.

After gently running his fingers down the length of the tooth he picked it up and hid it up the sleeve of his shirt. Turning back towards the great snake Harry was truly astounded at the great beauty of such a feared and ferocious beast. Like Remus had said, it was much larger than the sixty feet he had previously believed. Its large dark emerald green scales glittered in what little light illuminated the chamber and if it weren't for the fact that Harry himself had killed it, he would have believed that the animal was merely sleeping.

"To tell you the truth, I'm glad this thing is still down here. I was wondering, could we use the scales of this snake to make battle robes for members of the order that will spend the most time fighting."

"They could, a basilisk's scales get stronger as they age, and this one was placed in here by Slytherin himself. These are probably stronger than the scales of any dragon alive." Moody said after thinking for a few moments.

"Good, then I would like a set for myself and for my friends."

"I'm sure that can be arranged. After all, you killed the thing. This will actually make an excellent headquarters."

"Yeah it will, when we get it cleaned up anyway. And that has definitely got to go." Remus said pointing to the massive statue of Salazar Slytherin.

"Couldn't agree with you more." Moody mumbled as he looked over the large serpent. "Potter, are there any more rooms or chambers other than this one?"

"Not sure, wasn't exactly here for sight seeing last time. With all of these tunnels along the walls I'm sure there must be something. They can't all be for drainage."

"True, Remus give me a hand with this thing. Potter, while we're harvesting everything useful from this snake here, run up to Dumbledore's office and fetch him and Snape. This is a potions master's wet dream."

"Alright." Harry agreed as he made his way back to the entrance. Upon arrival he looked at Fawkes, who still rested on his shoulder. "Can you give me a lift up please?" he asked politely.

As Harry walked the corridors back towards the Headmaster's office he suddenly began thinking of his friends and their possible reaction to this possible headquarters. He was especially worried about how Ginny would take it. After all she had almost died in that place. Actually most of the Order would probably be terrified to go down there.

"Albus how are we going to train over the summer when the Ministry monitors such things?" Hermione asked curiously. Normally she is the voice of reason when Harry or Ron even think about violating any rules, much less laws, but if it were harmless to others and allowed her to study and practice over the summer than she was all for it. As long as the way to avoid the Ministry came from a reliable source.

"While on Hogwarts grounds it will not be a problem at all as the Ministry is aware that you will be staying here for the remainder of the summer for extra tutoring. However, while not on the school grounds and while on assignments for the Order you will use a different wand. A wand that will be made especially for you, one that the Ministry will not be aware of and therefore unable to trace. Now at some point this summer you will all be taken to Diagon Ally so that you can purchase your new wands. To make the most of these new wands it is preferable that the core of your original wand and that of you new one are different in almost every aspect. The balance of opposites you might say. Also it would be better if it was something personal to you. So if you have such an item, that can be used for a core, then I would recommend that you inform either myself or Aberforth within the next few days. If you do not have such an item then you will have to go through Ollivander's stockroom to find another wand that is suitable for you."

"Will this work?" Everyone spun in their seats to look towards the door, some even fell to the floor, to see who the new voice belonged to.

"Potter, have you ever heard of knocking?" Snape growled as he clutched his chest. "Or at least put a bell around your neck." Deciding that he would attempt to ignore Snape's existence for as long as possible Harry turned back to the Headmaster.

"Well, will this or will this not work for a wand core?" He asked again as he held out the fang that he had picked up off the floor in the Chamber of Secrets.

"Is that..." Professor McGonagall began but was cut off by Snape.

"That's a basilisk fang. Where did you get that Potter?" The potions master growled.

"Which time?" Harry shot back sarcastically. "The first time I got it after I ripped it out of my arm in the Chamber of Secrets during my second year and I have just now retrieved it again." He finished with a sneer. "Now back on topic. The core of my wand is the tail feather of a phoenix, Fawkes to be specific. You don't get more 'opposite' than a phoenix and a basilisk. Also this fang has drawn my blood, nearly killing me, you don't get much more personal than that. So, I will ask only once more, will it work?" It took a while but after a few moments Professor Dumbledore snapped out of his thoughts and answered.

"It just might. It is rare to find a wand with powdered basilisk fang as a core nowadays due to breeding and importation laws. But it is a very stable and magically powerful substance. Where are Remus and Alister?" This final question was asked as Harry was lowering himself back into his chair causing him to freeze and then straighten back up.

"That's right, I was sent back up here to collect you and Professor Snape. So if you would be so kind as to come with me." Much as he did with Remus and Moody, Harry left the office without waiting for an answer, leaving the two professors to play catch-up. After dismissing everyone they began to catch up to the retreating form of Harry Potter, Snape kept his distance while Dumbledore moved up to walk beside the boy.

"Look, Harry, there are some things that we have to discuss." He began quietly.

"Really, and what is that?" Harry replied without taking his eyes off of his path. With a sigh and a deep breath the Headmaster continued.

"Sirius for one." He began cautiously. "I know how you must be feeling, especially with the weight of the prophecy on your shoulders, but it will do you no good what so ever to lock everything away and blame yourself for everything that goes wrong." All of a sudden Dumbledore looked over to see that he was walking alone. Looking back he saw that Harry had stopped walking and was looking at him with a furious look in his eyes.

"Let's get one thing straight right here. First of all, I don't give a shit about the prophecy anymore. At first I was a bit shocked granted, I did not want to become a murderer, to become evil. Then I remembered my first year. To save my life I purposefully killed Professor Quirrell and I got over that. Killing Voldemort will not be a problem for me. Now despite what all of you say, it is my fault that Sirius is dead. If I had simply thought things through then I could have realized that Voldemort didn't really have him. However there is plenty of blame to go around. Snape for one for refusing to actually TEACH Occlumency instead he enjoyed just rifling through my privet thoughts and memories with no REAL explanation of what I was supposed to do.

Then of coarse there is you. You should have stressed the importance and, most of all, the reasons for me learning such a skill and in all of your infinite wisdom you should have had the common sense to realize that Snape could never have put aside his hatred of my father long enough to teach me properly. Now, Sirius is dead and it is my fault and there is nothing any of you can say or do to convince me otherwise. Now let's go." Harry finished as he resumed his journey to the second floor girls bathroom with a saddened headmaster and a fuming potions master behind him. As they entered the restroom, where Fawkes was perched calmly on the door to the far stall, Snape was about to make some snide comment but cut himself off as Harry began hissing and the sink moved off to the side to reveal the opening once again.

"What the devil is that?" The head of Slytherin house gasped out.

"This, I believe, is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets Severus." Dumbledore answered causing Snape's mouth to drop open.

"Come on, Remus and Moody are waiting." Harry said impatiently before lowering himself in. While making their way through the long and narrow corridor Snape's head darted around this way and that as if expecting some giant creature to jump out at any moment and attack.

"Ah you're back, good. We have a lot to go over." Remus greeted as he met Harry and the two Hogwarts professors outside of the giant iron door. "Harry, I checked it out and yes, there are a few other rooms, even some dungeons down here."

"Remus you seem to be way to excited to be down here." Harry snorted at the older man's excitement.

"Harry, incase you have forgotten, I enjoy books about as much as Hermione does. I have read a lot about the legends of the Chamber of Secrets so naturally I have always wanted to find it and come down. But like I said, it needs a serious overhaul and scrub down but I think we may have everything we need down here. We can use the main chamber for our full meetings and there is a small conference room that we can use for smaller ones. There is also a massive potions lab as well as a fairly large sitting area. The place is certainly big enough to suit our needs. All we need to do is clean it up and replace the old furniture and it will be ready to go."

"LUPIN, are they here yet?" Moody yelled from inside of the main chamber.

"Oh, Severus, Alister would like your help in harvesting the useful bits of that basilisk." Remus said. Snape's eye immediately shot open and he rushed through the door as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Alright Remus, go ahead and begin cleaning up. I am going to need Harry's help in changing the password so that we will be able to enter if he is not present." Remus nodded before going about his work while Harry sighed. He may feel grateful to him that he was allowed to join the Order but he didn't really wish to spend much time with the old man at the moment.

"Now Harry, since the password is in the language of an animal to change it you will have to speak the spell in parseltongue then the password. Then repeat the spell in English followed by the new password, understand?" He explained. When Harry nodded in understanding he continued. "Alright, the spell is '_Portus Afermea'. _Go ahead." After concentrating for a moment on the engraved snakes on the large door, Harry raised his wand.

'_Portus Afermea, open up' _He hissed and a soft blue light issued from his wand to encompass the whole door. After a short time the soft glow disappeared and Dumbledore instructed him to begin again. So he repeated the spell, this time in English. '_Portus Afermea, _phoenix reborn_.'_ He said in a commanding voice. This time the light from his wand was pale purple in color and instead of simply dissolving after a time it seemed to sink right into the door itself.

"Perfect!" Dumbledore exclaimed loudly causing Harry to jump slightly in shock. "One down, one to go." When they came back up on the entrance again Professor Dumbledore installed a staircase where the slide once stood so that they could pass through more easily. After all, Slytherin and Voldemort had the basilisk to carry them up to the opening but with the number of people in the order it would be unfair to ask Fawkes to carry them all out every time they needed. After changing the password to the main entrance to 'phoenix fire', it was decided that the two different doors would have different passwords, Dumbledore asked if Harry would like to help with the clean up effort.

"Not right now sir. I have to explain to my friends about this. Especially Ron and Ginny. Ginny still has nightmares about the Chamber sometimes so I thought I should tell them as soon as possible."

"Wise decision. By now they are probably getting settled into their quarters. They are on the third floor, your things have already been taken up." The Headmaster explained before he got a distant look in his eyes. At first Harry was worried that the old man was having a heart attack or a stroke before a loud crack echoed through the room.

"Headmaster sir call Dobby sir?" A squeaky voice asked as Harry turned to see Dobby the house elf bowing to Albus Dumbledore.

"Yes Dobby I was wondering if you could show Mr. Potter to his room for me?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

"Dobby would be happy to Headmaster Dumbledore sir." The elf squealed happily as he took Harry's hand and began to pull him out of the bathroom and down one of the many corridors. As they continued Harry got the distinct feeling that he should remember the route they were taking. After several moments of racking his brain he finally realized why this particular path was so familiar.

They were heading straight towards 'Fluff's' old room. Although the giant three headed dog was long since gone it did not stop Harry from shuddering. Stopping before the door he was almost chanting, _Fluffy's gone Fluffy's gone Fluffy's gone. _Taking a deep breath to steady himself he grasped the door handle only to have it ripped from his hand as the door was flung open and a brown and a red blur slammed into him almost knocking him to the ground.

"Oh Harry, we were so worried about you..."

"Why didn't you write at all?"

"For a while we thought Voldemort got you..." The two babbled on as they nearly cried into his shoulder. Ron was almost on the floor with laughter as he watched the horrified look on his friend's face because lets face it, Harry sucks at touchy, feely, emotional crap. After a few awkward pats on the back Harry managed to untangle himself from Hermione and Ginny and sink into a chair. Looking around he noticed that the room he was currently in was almost like the Gryffindor common room with the exception of the colors. Since members of each house were staying here the room was done up in blues and purples. The group of friends sat in an awkward silence for some time before Ron decided to speak before someone decided to begin grilling Harry on his feelings.

"So, did you find what you were looking for? I mean, a headquarters for the Order." He asked somewhat nervously. Harry took a deep breath before letting out a sigh.

"Yes, I think I did." Harry answered just as nervously but didn't elaborate any further.

"Well?" Hermione asked impatiently causing Harry to fidget slightly under everyone's gaze.

"Well, um, ithoughtwecouldusethechamberofsecrets." He mumbled very fast causing Ron and Hermione to look at him in confusion while Ginny seemed to catch it and went extremely pale.

"What was that?"

"I said, I thought we could use the Chamber of Secrets." He replied after taking several calming breaths. "Dumbledore, Remus, Moody and Snape are down there now cleaning it up."

"Are you insane? Last time both you and Ginny almost died down there." Ron nearly screamed.

"I have to agree with Ron, Harry. There is no telling what kind of dark magic could be going on down there." Hermione added

"Hey, if any of you have any better ideas then speak up. The only other room we could use is the Room of Requirements and that doesn't have any security. The Chamber of Secrets however remained hidden for over a thousand years. You don't get much more secure than that. Now I realize that some of us have had some very bad experiences down there but if we can't get over our fear of a room than how are we ever going to get over our fear of Voldemort." The group fell back into silence after this and were clearly thinking this through. To everyone's surprise, it was Ginny that spoke up first.

"Harry's right you know. I still have nightmares about that place but if I can get other memories of it other than just back during my first year I think it will get better." She said with a small hopeful smile. Hermione sighed in resignation before nodding in agreement and looking at her watch.

"Come on guys, its already one o'clock and we start training tomorrow morning." The others nodded tiredly before getting up to go to bed. Harry followed Ron into the boy's dormitory to find it just like his original in Gryffindor Tower. Neville was already in bed and asleep as well as Terry Boot from Ravenclaw and a Slytherin boy that he did not know. Quickly changing into his pajamas he quietly laid down and drifted off into a sleep plagued with images of Sirius falling through the veil only to re-emerge to blame Harry for his death.

TBC

Top of Form


	3. Training

Reposted on 11/8/05

AN- **MUST READ**: I have decided that this story is going to be an answer to the Brides of the Founders challenge by Jon3776. For those of you who do not know what this challenge it I will explain. The challenge is simple, come up with a story that involves a new prophecy that tells that for Harry to tap into the 'power the dark lord knows not' he must get married. Not to one, two, or even three witches but to four. Each one from a different house at Hogwarts. Through this 'marriage the power of all five will increase dramatically since they can draw power from the others if need be. Now these are the rules,

No Hermione or Ginny since there is so many stories with them

At least two MUST be students and at least one adult that can serve as an anchor for the group such as Tonks, Bellatrix or Narcissa

Sex magic should be a part of defeating Voldemort. (No idea what this part is about but to let everyone know, I WILL NOT be turning this story into some porno.

Bonus points for naughty parts (R-nc-17) such as both Patil twins. (Wont be doing this. Obviously there will be some sex but as I said NO porno and no incest.

Immortality or extreme longevity is part of the package deal

Now I have decided to do this because I came across the challenge and thought it would be cool to challenge myself to write something like this that actually has a plot and a good story not just perverted nonsense. This story will keep its PG-13 rating with maybe moments of an R rating. So when I begin with the challenge requirements I hope you enjoy how it develops. Weather you like this idea or not please send a review with you opinions and possible choices for the brides. I will simply call them the Brides of Hogwarts instead of Brides of the Founders because it makes more sense really.

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Three: Training**

"WAKE UP!" 'Mad Eye' Moody yelled as he blasted each of the five boys with ice cold water from his wand. Immediately all five leapt from their beds and seemed to be wide awake. A few had even drawn their wands and now had them trained on the now smirking ex-Auror, which was actually quite a disturbing sight.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" Ron nearly screamed as he wiped his face and lowered his wand, an action that Harry and Neville imitated as they growled in annoyance.

"Time to begin training! Get dressed and be in the common room in two minutes." The older man replied as his scared face twisted into some grotesque grin before turning on his heal and limping back out the door, his wooden leg thumping with each step.

"For Merlin's sake, it's only four o'clock." Ron complained as he pealed off his wet pajamas before drying himself off and getting dressed. While Ron and the others complained Harry simply went about his task in silence while mulling over his thoughts and memories of his most recent nightmare. In his head Harry knew that Sirius wouldn't have blamed him for his death but for some reason, in his heart, he didn't want to believe that. Almost as if he wanted to be blamed so that all of his feelings and thoughts since that night in the Department of Mysteries would not have been in vain. He needed that blame almost as if it had always been a part of him.

Walking silently down the corridor into the main common room Harry was greeted with a most unusual sight. Along with the other four boys stood Hermione, Ginny, Blaise, and Hannah Abbott. All looking extremely pissed. This was not really that unusual since he had seen his two friends angry at one point or another and he was sure that even the even tempered Hufflepuff had lost her temper at one point or another. No, what was truly amazing was that Tonks, who had obviously been sent to wake the girls, had actually managed to piss off 'Loony' Luna Lovegood. All of Harry's previous thoughts on Sirius' death had been thrown out the window as he saw the pink haired Auror cringe under the ferocious glare of the absolutely murderous tiny Ravenclaw as Moody looked on with absolute glee in his eyes.

"What the hell happened?" Harry asked Hermione in a whisper after he snapped out of his shock. Hermione however nearly jumped to the ceiling when her concentration was diverted to one of her best friends. After a few moments she was able to calm her racing heart enough to answer.

"Well, Tonks came in and woke us all up when she put a shaking charm on all of our beds. She told us all to get dressed and then turned to leave. However, before she could she tripped over the edge of the carpet and crashed into Luna's bedside table, knocking over the tank that was sitting on top of it." At this point Hermione stopped her explanation as if she were unwilling to admit something.

"Well?" Harry prompted.

"Well, when she knocked over the tank something got out and has now disappeared."

"What disappeared?" Harry was now getting very annoyed with Hermione's reluctance. As if sensing her friend's annoyance Hermione took a deep breath before continuing.

"A Crumple Horned Snokack or whatever it was that she called it. Can you believe it? They actually exist. All of last year I thought she was completely insane for even suggesting it but then I come up to bed last night and there it was, looking just like she said it did. I mean, can you believe it. Until Rita Skitter wrote that article for us last year I thought that everything in the Quibbler was absolute rubbish, everyone thought so…"

"Hermione you're babbling, knock it off." Harry said with a chuckle. "Everyone has to be wrong about something, it builds character. It just so happens that it is your turn to be wrong." His chuckle almost turned into a full blown laugh when Hermione turned her death glare on him but was spared when Moody spoke up.

"Alright let's go, and be quiet about it." Moody growled and Tonks was only to happy to get out from under Luna's glare. After a silent walk from the castle the group made their way across the still darkened grounds towards the lake where the giant squid could be heard splashing around. "Now, start running!"

"Excuse me?" Ron piped up only to be silenced as Moody's eyes turned to him.

"Do not question me boy!" He growled. "Every day you will make one lap around this lake before you begin your regular training. Halfway around you are allowed to take a five minute break before you begin again. There is to be no stopping to catch your breath and no walking. There will also be other, challenges, along the way."

"But that will take half the day." Hannah Abbott complained.

"Then you best get started!" Tonks said before she and Moody began firing minor hexes and curses at them to get them moving. And it worked brilliantly as the group took off at a fast run.

Only ten minutes later the group was utterly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to lay down and die. However every time they began to slow down to a pace that Moody did not approve of they were attacked by a barrage of curses coming in from all sides. The curses were nothing serious, just stinging and pinching hexes and other such uncomfortable hexes and curses. At one point Ron stopped for a moment only to find himself hurling through the air and landing with a splash in the frigid waters of the lake thanks to a well aimed banishing charm.

After nearly an hour and a half of solid running the group was ready to collapse when Harry suddenly had an idea. Slowing his pace down a bit so others could catch he instructed them to do the same until everyone was now running together again.

"Alright if we keep this up we will be dead before we get half way." Harry huffed as he jogged along.

"So what do you have in mind Potter?" The Slytherin boy, Harry had learned his name was Allen Samuels, asked without a trace of arrogance or superiority.

"That's easy, we stop and walk." He answered as if it were the simplest thing in the world. The others just looked at him as if he were insane.

"Are you insane?" Hermione hissed. "If we stop running than those hexes will only get worse.

"Ah, but what if we cast shielding charms and then overlap them into one shield. That would be more than strong enough to hold off those curses and much stronger ones for awhile. Long enough for us to rest for a few minutes." He explained between each breath. "Everyone up to it?" His question was met with a round of approval.

"I would be up for death right now Potter if it meant I could stop running " Blaise quipped much to everyone's amusement.

"Alright, on three! One, two, three!"

_'Protegeo'_ An instant later ten shields flared to life with a shimmer of silver light as they were place between their creators and the attackers. Neville himself was very pleased if not surprised to see that his shield was just as strong as everyone else's. Almost immediately everyone slowed down to a walk while breathing a sigh of relief at the knowledge that they were well protected within their combined shields. However they made it only a few steps before 'Mad Eye' appeared in front of them with Fawkes on his shoulder causing them to come to a dead stop.

"Very good. If it had taken you any longer I would have hexed you into oblivion. When in a combat situation you must always remember that you are only as fast as your slowest team member. If you were to run off blindly and uncoordinated as you did in the beginning you would all be killed. However, if you stay together and work with each other, you will survive. Or at least have a better chance of doing so."

"You mean this was just a test? Run until we work together?" Ron asked in annoyance.

"Yes and no. Everything is a test, however you are also running for my amusement. Now move. All except for Potter and Zabini." Harry and Blaise stood back in confusion while the rest of the group groaned in defeat and once again began running.

"What did you want to see us for sir?" Harry asked politely.

"Professor Dumbledore would like to speak with the both of you in his office so take hold of this." He explained simply as he held out a piece of parchment. Harry cringed a bit before he reluctantly held out his hand and placed a finger on the portkey and the world around him disappeared in a cascade of colors, light and sound.

"Harry, are you okay?" Harry looked up to see the concerned faces of Albus Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. Snape was standing alone by Dumbledore's desk looking quite smug that Harry fell over as he arrived while Blaise Zabini was sitting on a nearby couch with an unconcerned look on her face.

"Yeah, just fine." Harry replied as he pulled himself off the floor. "I hate those bloody things." He muttered to himself as he lowered himself into a nearby chair as the two professors made their way back to their chairs.

"First off I would like to inform the two of you that as I had said last night each of you will be paired up with another as leaders of specific teams. As such I would like the two of you to be the leaders of the first team." He began in a serious tone but Harry could detect a fair amount of amusement in his voice. Snape seemed to be absolutely appalled at the idea while McGonagall looked positively delighted. Blaise seemed to have the typical Slytherin mask of indifference well in place but Harry was shocked.

A Slytherin. He was paired with a Slytherin. Not only that but another student. He had thought that the students would be paired with adults since most adults would be unwilling to take orders from a 'child'.

"The reason for this is quite simple really. You, Harry, your strength primarily lies in defense and to a certain degree in charms and transfiguration. While Blaise's lean more to potions and ancient runes as well as defense. I believe that your combined attitudes and temperaments will be enough to keep even the most seasoned of your team members in line." Dumbledore chuckled while booth Harry and Blaise looked at the old man as if he were insane. "Of course there is another reason as well."

"And that reason is?" Harry questioned after a few minutes of waiting.

"Oh, sorry for that, my concentration wondered." He explained as Snape rolled his eyes. "The other reason is that I need help from the both of you."

"What kind of help?" Harry asked impatiently. He was not in the mood for games at the moment.

"We are in need of specialized talents that only you two possess."

"For Merlin's sake will you just get to the bloody point? We just spent an hour and a half running full out with Moody dogging at our heels the entire way, I am not in the mood for games at this point." Everyone present looked at Harry in shock for speaking to the Headmaster in such a way although both Snape and Blaise were looking relieved that Dumbledore may finally get to the point. Dumbledore himself had a calculating look in his eyes as if he were simply seeing how far he could push the young man before he snapped.

"Alright Harry. As the two of you are the only parselmouths we know of other than Voldemort we need…"

"Excuse me? The two of us?" Harry asked in a confused deadpanned voice.

"Yes Potter, the two of you. Ms. Zabini's talent in this area has only recently awakened. Surely even you with all your arrogance couldn't believe that no one else could possible have such a rare gift." Snape commented sarcastically, his voice filled with contempt.

"Don't give me anymore reason to kill you Snape. So why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set." Harry replied with just as much contempt and hatred. The room sat in shock at Harry's words. No one could believe that Harry Potter just issued a death threat. Snape however was fuming.

"Why you insolent little basta…" Snape's words were instantly cut off as Harry stood and leveled his wand at the potions master's heart.

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you Snape. You may think I am nothing more than a pint sized version of my father however there are many that could tell you that we are nothing alike."

"Potter, really." McGonagall began.

"SHUT UP!" Harry yelled, effectively silencing the head of Gryffindor House before turning back to Snape. "I have never been one to play pranks to humiliate someone so I guess I will just have to put you in the hospital wing the next time you can't hold your tongue." Harry snapped before sitting back down and turning back towards Dumbledore while Snape fumed in the corner. "Now what did you want?"

"What, oh yes," He began after shacking off his shock. "While going through some of the smaller chambers last night Remus found a library. Many of the books contained some of the darkest magic imaginable however there are many that's contents remain unknown since they are written in parseltongue." He explained.

"What, it's a written language. What the hell do snakes need books for?" Harry asked in shock while everyone else expressed their shock as well. Obviously Dumbledore didn't inform anyone of the exact nature of this meeting.

"It was not developed by the snakes, rather by a parselmouth that lived many centuries ago, long before even Salazar Slytherin, named Methina. It took her years to perfect but afterwards all parselmouths have had an instinctual knowledge of this language. From what I understand it is much like speaking to a snake, you seem to be reading in English but the writing is unreadable to others."

"How do you know this or even that the books are written in parseltongue?" Blaise asked curiously.

"In my youth I met a young man with this ability in Germany. He came across a diary written by Methina herself in which he learned of the development of this language. I was able to read much of it and found it utterly fascinating. The rest had been written in the completed form of her new system. After the completion of the First World War I went back to study it further only to find that he had been killed and the diary destroyed. Since then I have not seen this writing again until Remus found the library."

"So you want us to read through the books and see if there is anything useful?" Harry asked. When Dumbledore nodded his conformation Harry stood and made his way to the door. "Oh, is anyone down there now?"

"Only Remus and Professor Flitwick."

"Ok, make sure no one else goes down there. To make sure I'm going to change the password. I don't think it is a good idea for knowledge of Blaise's ability to get out."

"And why is that Potter?" Snape sneered. Harry had to take several deep breaths to calm himself down before answering.

"I know this is difficult for you professor but please, try and use your head for a moment. I'm sure everyone here remembers what happened when the Daily Prophet told everyone that I was a parselmouth. Everyone turned on me, claiming me to be another dark lord. Some even demanded that I be given the Kiss immediately. Now what do you think would happen to her. No offence meant, but another parselmouth in Slytherin. I'm sure you all remember who the last one was. The magical world will be screaming for her head and Voldemort will be wetting his pants in anticipation for his Death Eaters to capture her and bring her to him. You didn't think of that, did you?" Harry explained and then added after he looked at each of the professors who all had surprised looks on their faces as if they could not believe that they had not thought of that. "Shit! With all their combined knowledge and wisdom the three of them really do make half a moron." He muttered to himself as he stalked out of the office leaving four gaping faces staring out after him. After reaching the bottom of the staircase he remembered Blaise and quickly called back up for her to get a move on as he waited impatiently.

When Blaise had caught up with Harry she was obviously still too surprised by Harry's outburst to rattle on about him calling after her like some common servant. Or at least that was his first thought but he quickly pushed that down deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt about not being your stereotypical Slytherin. The trip to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom went by very quickly, so quickly in fact that he was surprised to hear Blaise gasp and realized that he had already opened the 'doorway'. (For lack of a better word.)

"Where does that go?" She asked nervously. Harry let out a long sigh before answering.

"This Blaise, is the entrance to Salazar Slytherin's little chamber of horrors, also known as the Chamber of Secrets our new headquarters. Let's go." After leading the reluctant young Slytherin down Harry pointed his wand at the opening. _'Portus Afermea, Phoenix Fire.'_ After the soft blue light around the entrance disappeared he continued, this time in parseltongue. '_Portus Afermea, open up'_ Finished with the spell Harry went down the stairs to meet Blaise.

"I changed the password back to parseltongue so when you have to leave just hiss out _open up_."

"Hiss, that sounds so, so… Why couldn't you just say open up?" She asked as if the thought of her hissing disturbed her. Harry paused to look back at her.

"Because if I had you would probably spend hours screaming for it to open not even realizing you had to say it in parseltongue." He responded with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's probably true." She agreed reluctantly before following after Harry. Looking around was kind of a disappointment for Blaise as she had heard all the stories about the Chamber being dark and terrifying when it actually wasn't that bad. The walls and ceiling of the corridor had a nice vaulted cave like look about it with a nicely polished black marble floor. Torches were spaced along the walls every fifteen feet or so giving it an almost surreal look. "I don't see what all the fuss was about, it's actually kind of nice down here."

"That's because members of the Order have been in and out of here all night cleaning it up. Up until last night this corridor was nothing more than some crude tunnel through the rock, cluttered up with fallen debris, the remains of small animals and a mass of shed snake skin. Come to think of it, the lack of an eighty five foot basilisk always goes a long way in making some place tolerable."

"Smart ass!" Blaise muttered to herself at the sarcastic tone Harry used with his last comment. As they entered the main chamber both students stopped and gasped at the sight before them.

As with the corridor leading in, the floor was now done over with polished marble while the walls retained their rough earthen look as they arched over to form a magnificent dome. Each of the dozen or so tunnels lining the walls were now molded into tasteful archways leading only god knows where. They were done in white marble that contrasted nicely with the black floor and the bark stone walls. The hundreds of candles floating overhead sent their light shining down to reflect in the marble giving the place an almost ethereal look. Harry took the changes in rather quickly and was shocked at the progress made in only one night. Magic or not that was a lot of work. Taking one more quick look around he noticed one more change that he had failed to notice the first time.

The massive statue that stood at the front of the hall was most definitely not that of Salazar Slytherin but rather that of someone that Harry was well acquainted with. He should considering he belonged to his house. Yes that's right, right in the middle of the Chamber of Secrets stood a sixty foot high statue of Godric Gryffindor.

Taking in the sight of one of the greatest light wizards in history towering over him set Harry on edge. Of all places for a statue such as this, it was not here. Granted one of Slytherin would have been in worse taste but there was no point to split hairs. Thinking of the situation quickly he could come to only one conclusion. Quickly removing his wand, he pointed it at the likeness of Gryffindor's face and yelled _'Reducto'._

Blaise was pulled out of her sight induced stupor at the sound of Harry's voice and the flash of blue light that issued from his wand and streaked at top speed towards a big honkin' statue of a man she knew to be Godric Gryffindor. Under normal circumstances she would have questioned why such a monument would be down here of all places but she was concerned with other matters at the moment, such as diving back out the entrance and hiding behind the massive iron door when the spell connected sending a shower of rocks and bust in every direction.

After casting his spell, Harry quickly cast a shielding charm on himself and sent one flying towards Blaise before dashing into one of the side chambers to seek cover from the blast. Just before reaching safety the stone face exploded in a rain of masonry.

"WHAT THE HELL!" A deep voice shouted. _"Aorest"! _The man yelled this time being joined by another. Almost at once the massive amounts of dust that had filled the air began to form up into one giant swirling mass before it began constricting and pulling into itself. In a matter of moments the room was clear and the full damage was visible.

Damage may have been to strong of a word. Obviously there were many spells and enchantments in place to keep the place clean and prevent damage like cave-ins because with the exception of large amounts of rubble scattered across the floor not much seemed to be out of shape.

"Care to explain what happened?" Remus asked as he surveyed Harry through piercing brown eyes as Professor Flitwick twittered with excitement and amusement as he vanished the rubble with a wave of his wand. The look in his eyes told Harry plainly that he was the one to alter the statue and that he was quite proud of his work.

"That didn't belong down here!" Harry replied simply and firmly. Of all the answers he was expecting this was not one of them. Not because it was something so ridicules or trivial but rather because he was now one hundred percent confused.

"Care to explain?"

"It's simple really. Granted this is the Chamber of Secrets and was the base for Salazar Slytherin but as this is our new base his statue remaining down here is tacky considering what he stood for. However, it would be bad taste to simply replace his face with another of the founders."

"Why not? They all stood for the light and Gryffindor led them." Remus answered back.

"So, he is not leading us." This statement only served to confuse the older man further. "Remus, you and myself are Gryffindors. Professor Flitwick and Luna and Terry Boot are from Ravenclaw. There are many members of the Order form each of the four houses. This is the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix not the Order of Gryffindor so that statue unintentionally showed a lack of respect for the other members. Don't get me wrong, you did a wonderful job on it but at this time we cant have our time wasted by arguments over something as trivial as that." When Harry had finished Remus was gaping at him with his mouth hanging wide open while tiny Professor Flitwick simply stared at him with wide eyes.

"Are you sure you weren't supposed to be in Ravenclaw Potter. That was the most wise and intelligent argument I have heard from another student in a while." Blaise stated as she made her way towards them.

"I must agree, very wise indeed. Then again with someone like Lily Evans as a mother it shouldn't be that hard to believe. Many claim that you look like your father Mr. Potter but it is clear that you inherited something of your mother as well." Flitwick replied after shaking off his shock. For a brief moment a rather intense look flashed across Harry's eyes but no one seemed to notice. No one that is except Blaise. Remus on the other hand took a few more minutes to collect himself but when he did it was right down to business.

"Um, yes, well, err lets go, the library is down this way." Remus said while leading them to the third corridor on the right hand side of the chamber. This hallway unlike the main corridor and chamber looked more at home inside the walls of Hogwarts and looked quite ordinary and spartan. They came to a large room at the end of the hall, only about thirty meters or so, and entered into what looked like any ordinary study.

The room was about twenty five meters by thirty and with the exception of a massive claw footed mahogany desk the center of the room was bare. Along all four walls were massive book shelves containing hundreds of dusty old volumes and enormous tombs. The only openings between selves were for the door and a ten meter space for a long work table with a bench that was covered in books.

"From what we've found, every book written in parseltongue is on that table there. Every book in here is in excellent condition but those are the only ones with preservation charms on them so it would take quite sometime to find out how old they are so when you're looking see if you can tell who wrote it and when as well as any other prudent information." Remus explained as he looked at the aforementioned books longingly obviously wishing he had the ability to read them himself.

"Are you sure HE shouldn't have been put in Ravenclaw?" Harry whispered to Blaise and Professor Flitwick and after a moments laughter and a long sigh of resignation he got down to work when something else came to mind. "Oh, are either of you leaving anytime soon?"

"No, we are going through the rest of these books to see what if any could help us. That alone will take some time. Why?"

"Because I changed the password on the main door back to parseltongue to prevent anyone else from coming down here while we're working. It would be a bad idea for anyone to find out that Blaise is a parselmouth as well, even other members of the Order." Harry explained as he settled himself into a chair with a book in his hands and propping his feet up on the table as Professor Flitwick responded sagely.

"A wise decision. The wizarding community as a whole as well as individuals have many prejudices and misconceptions of magic that would cause problems." With that said everyone began their work. The two older men conjured a table for themselves while Blaise took a stack of books and moved over to the desk as Harry remained in his place at the work table. Opening the first book his eyes were confronted with what looked to be nothing more than various wavy lines, mush like the tracks a snake makes in the sand. Concentrating hard on the lines Harry squinted his eyes hard but still could make no sense of them whatsoever. Taking his glasses of, he cleaned them up and then rubbed his face before turning back to the task at hand. After putting his glasses back on he was hit by a sudden idea.

'Hey, if it works with speaking it maybe it will work with reading it.' He thought to himself as he pulled out a piece of parchment and drew a crude looking snake on it before placing the parchment on the page next to the text. Concentrating on the snake he began thinking about what it was like to speak the language as opposed to simply reading it. After a moment he looked back to the text to see the lines seemingly rearranging themselves. After nearly a minute all movement stopped and it appeared, to Harry at least, that he was looking at English script. After quickly relaying to Blaise how to get started he turned back to his own work and began reading.

If you haven't already, read the author's note at the top, it is very important.

TBC


	4. Classes and the New Prophecy

Reposted on11/8/05

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Four: Classes and a New Prophecy**

The moment Harry opened the first book his interest was peaked but as he read on his curiosity grew to new limits. It seemed to be some sort of log composed by Salazar Slytherin that, at first, merely detailed tedious day to day activities that centered on the running of the school such as overseeing the students to repairing the damage done by any dunderheads caused by fouling up a simple potion. 'God this guy really is a lot like Snape'. Harry thought to himself with amusement. However, soon the details written turned much more personal as the hand writing became so messy it was almost indistinguishable from the prim and proper script it had been before. It appeared that while documenting the activities of the day, thoughts weighing on Slytherin's mind caused his patience to snap and he began to rant and rave at the parchment he was scribbling on before the writing once more became very neat and clipped. Flipping through the next several pages Harry found many other examples of these seemingly random changes.

"Remus, come here!" Harry almost shouted, nearly causing the aforementioned werewolf to topple out of his chair.

"What is it? What did you find?" He asked hurriedly as Professor Flitwick looked on and Blaise merely ignored them and continued her own reading.

"Nothing ground breaking or earth shattering but interesting nonetheless. This book here looks to be a log of day to day activities around the castle written by Slytherin himself."

"Are you sure he wrote it?"

"Considering he described the other three founders in the present tense, yes I'm sure." When Harry replied both Remus and Professor Flitwick wore the same shocked expression while Blaise dropped her book on the desk and looked completely thunderstruck.

"What?" Harry asked after seeing their reactions. He was both thoroughly confused as well as a little worried.

"You don't get it Potter, of everything that remains from the time of the Founders nothing, and I mean nothing, written in their own hand goes into their own personal feelings. No diaries, journals or even a spare bit of parchment with something scribbled on it. The only reason we know as much as we do about them is because of accounts by their friends and colleagues. All four of them were very protective of their own privacy. That's why they were able to work together so well despite their differences, they respected each others personal space." Blaise explained as if she were giving a lecture.

"Um, what does it say?" Remus asked suddenly with a great deal of curiosity and anticipation that was shown clearly as he seemed to bounce from foot to foot. Chuckling softly to himself Harry picked the book up and as the other three listened with undivided attention as he began.

"Alright at first it goes into detail about any normal day you are likely to find within Hogwarts, however towards the bottom of the page he cuts off from this and the hand writing changes drastically as if he was trying to shout through the pages and begins to rant, cursing Gryffindor in some rather foul language for his so called high and mighty attitude concerning muggles and muggleborns. He fills up nearly a full page with nothing more than elaborate name calling. After that he calmed down and picked up his work where he let off as if nothing had happened.

He does this several more times through at least the first quarter of the book. His tendencies for these intense written outbursts of his while writing of the school is probably why he took the extra time to write this book is in parseltongue rather than English. One of the more interesting of these passages is as followed…"

"_Fools, all of them. Don't they realize how big of a threat those THINGS are? They will stop at nothing to destroy us. It's bad enough that that pompous ass Godric stood against us but now he has even swerved Rowena and Helga with his blasphemous ideations. Conspiring with the enemy, that's what they are doing. Betraying their own kind for that filth. Soon, they will certainly come for us and we will show them what true power is. Soon…"_

"Now that is one very disturbed mind!" Harry said as he observed the shocked faces before him. "Not only is he extremely paranoid and refers to himself as 'us' as though he were two different people but he was also sitting on an awful lot of rage. A very dangerous combination no matter how you look at it."

"Why would he leave something like that down here?" Remus asked in confusion. "Clearly he intended for his heir to find this place so why would he leave anything around that would prove him to be completely insane?"

"Well, after his confrontation with Gryffindor he was forced to leave the castle very quickly before he got himself killed. He may not have had time to make it down here to remove anything that did not portray him in the light that he wanted." Blaise answered after thinking for a moment.

"Yes, that would also explain why all of these other books are still here. When Voldemort was a student and finally found this chamber I'm sure he would have removed any books he felt he could use later on before he left Hogwarts. But then the Basilisk killed a student, Moaning Myrtle to be exact, and he pinned the blame on Hagrid but he could not risk opening the Chamber again while a student so these books have remained untouched since then." Harry finished for Blaise as everyone again sported shocked expressions. However Harry was not in the mood to be gawked at.

"What?" He shouted in irritation, successfully pulling everyone out of their stupor.

"Oh, sorry Mr. Potter. It's just that lately you seem to be taking a more Ravenclaw or even a Slytherin way of thinking things through." Flitwick responded proudly as Remus looked appalled at Harry being compared to Slytherins, it was just unthinkable.

"Well the sorting hat did want to put me in Slytherin at first but I begged it not to." Now Remus was shocked and looked about to have a heart attack while Blaise simply raised an elegant eyebrow, not unlike Professor Snape.

"Really! And why may I ask did you beg it not to?" She asked with a hint of steel in her voice as if daring Harry to say anything bad against her house.

"Well when the first thing you hear about any of the houses at Hogwarts is from Draco Malfoy preaching about Slytherin superiority and that the others were made up of trash, it kind of turns you off. Then of course I find out that the man that murdered my parents was from Slytherin so naturally I wanted nothing to do with it and be as far away from it as possible." Blaise listened intently, waiting for Harry to say something offensive so she could pounce on him for it but to her disappointment he did not.

"I guess I can understand that reasoning. Malfoy turns everyone off. He really is the worst type when it comes to Slytherins; it's because of people like him that give all of us a bad name. Everyone believes we are all a bunch of evil Death Eaters in training and can not be trusted. Speaking of which, you, being a Gryffindor, seem to be taking being paired with a Slytherin pretty well."

"Blaise, simply being put in Slytherin alone hardly qualifies for being a Death Eater, there are plenty from the other four houses. There are also plenty of Slytherins in the Order. Besides, in case you didn't notice, Fawkes was present in Dumbledore's office last night and again this morning, if you were untrustworthy he would have let everyone know." Harry explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, um, alright. Well let's get back to work!" She replied hastily before heading back to her stack of books. Harry had sat back down and had been reading for several minutes before Remus and Professor Flitwick were able to compose themselves enough to get back to their own work. The level of maturity he had just shown was staggering. Given the five years he had spent at Hogwarts with the legendary feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin it was simply amazing that he could simply shove it aside so easily in favor of something more important. Most students and many alumni from either house would have difficulty with such an action and still allow childish house loyalties and animosities keep them from working together effectively. Case and point, Sirius and Snape.

The four 'researchers' scanned through book after book for another two and a half hours before Fawkes suddenly appeared in a burst of flames and weightlessly landed on Harry's left shoulder. He carefully untied the note attached to his leg as not to harm him in any way and began to read as Fawkes took off and he was greatly relieved at what he saw. 'Thank god. No more reading for now.' He thought to himself.

"Blaise, the others are finished running. We have to meet them in the Great Hall for dueling practice." Harry said in excitement, however Blaise looked as if she much rather preferred reading as she marked her page in disappointment and set the book aside.

"Fine, let's go!" She replied in a clipped tone and walked out of the library as Harry turned back towards the other two.

"I will change the password back to English so the two of you can use it again."

"Whatever!" Remus responded as he continued reading, completely engrossed in the text while the tiny charms professor twittered excitedly as he waved his wand. In seconds a great deal of dust in the room was pulled towards him and compacted itself into a solitary figure. The accumulated dust now took the shape a large jungle cat and was prowling around the room as Flitwick jumped around in excitement.

'Interesting.' Harry thought before something else occurred to him. "Professor, do you think it's a good idea to be using that magic?" He asked nervously, worried about the consequences of his professor using dark magic.

"Not to worry Mr. Potter, this isn't dark magic." He answered obviously picking up on Harry's concern. "It was believed that the last copy of this particular book was destroyed centuries ago. It contains several charms that were developed by Merlin himself as well as other of the most powerful witches and wizards of that age. It is quite a find." He explained while attempting many other charms to perfection and with precision and accuracy that only a charms master such as himself could accomplish in so short a time. "Dear lord, with this books discovery I will be able to completely rework my entire NEWT level course outline. Excellent!"

Harry was still chuckling to himself at his professor's excitement when he exited the Chamber of Secrets to find Blaise waiting for him in Moaning Myrtle's bath room. Wondering why she had waited for him his curiosity was quickly satisfied when she asked him what they would tell the others about their disappearance from the lake that morning and an excuse for what they were doing when they left to continue reading. After a great deal of pacing and thinking Harry decided that it was best to stick as close to the truth as possible. They would simply explain about the books written in parseltongue and that Harry had to translate them while Blaise was helping translate any books written in ancient runes as she was top of her class in that particular subject, just ahead of Hermione. To back this story up they would talk to Dumbledore and have some scrolls written in runes moved down there incase Hermione wished to help in the translations. Harry had no wish to lie to his friends but he really couldn't see any way around it, they couldn't let Blaise's parseltongue abilities become general knowledge. Blaise raised an eyebrow at his explanation as if to say, 'how very Slytherin of you', before the pair left and headed towards Dumbledore's office.

After a quick explanation of their plans the Headmaster agreed and sent several scrolls in his personal collection down with Fawkes to plant in the library incase Hermione wished to help in their efforts. After a quick thank you the two students left and headed down for their first dueling lesson which Harry was greatly looking forward to but Blaise seemed indifferent on the matter. Upon entering the Great Hall the changes could be seen plainly. Most notably was the lack of the four house tables and the staff table that sat at the head of the hall. Second was the large raised platform that dominated the center of the room. It appeared to be roughly seventy feet long and ten feet wide with a shimmering transparent gold shield surrounding it. The other eight students were seated along the wall facing the center of the platform so that they could see everything that took place with any given duel. After a moment both Moody and Tonks noticed their entrance.

"It's about time you decided to show up now take a seat so we can get started." Moody barked impatiently as he approached the area where everyone else was sitting. After Harry and Blaise had sat down he began.

"Now, due to resent discoveries and events the full meeting of the Order has been pushed back until late next week so that gives us a week and a half of hard solid training before you begin to work with your various teams. And as such you are here for one reason and one reason only and that is to learn how to defend yourselves, defend others and when the situation calls for it, to kill." At this last word many seemed to pale. The thought that they may have to kill another person had apparently not occurred to some. "In this coming war, and make no mistake about it, it is a war, many will die. There is nothing you can do to change this fact. Death Eaters have no qualms about using some of the darkest curses known to man and so you must be prepared. Half of you have already been in a position where you were forced to face Death Eaters in a life or death situation, some even more than once." As he said this his magical eye scanned Harry's friends before resting on Harry.

"Potter, at eleven years old you faced a Death Eater who was possessed by Voldemort, at twelve you faced possibly the oldest and strongest basilisk that has ever wondered the face of the earth, at fourteen you dueled with Voldemort himself in the presence of a dozen other Death Eaters and at fifteen you faced off against some of his strongest servants." Harry certainly did not like where this discussion was going. "Now I would like you to tell everyone here how you managed to survive these encounters while older and more experienced wizards have failed." Moody instructed as if he were searching for a certain answer.

"I got lucky!" Harry answered simply as he grew uncomfortable with everyone watching him so intently. Both Moody and Tonks however were very disappointed with his answer.

"You got lucky? Care to explain?" Tonks asked with a stern expression that was completely out of place on her usually jovial face. After taking a deep breath Harry began to explain.

"Well in my first year the only reason I survived was because Professor Quirrell was unable to touch me with out being burned, so I just held onto him until I passed out. Because Quirrell was dieing Voldemort was forced to leave his body.

In second year I would have been killed twice over but Fawkes showed up and pecked out the eyes of the basilisk so that I could see what I was doing without having to worry about its deadly gaze. He also brought me the sword I used to kill it and he healed me after I was bit.

Forth year was different but still just luck. Voldemort had me pinned down behind a headstone when he fired the killing curse at me. I just decided that I wasn't going to die hiding so I got up and fired a disarming curse at him. Our curses collided in midair causing our wands to be connected with a gold light since our wands are brothers and cannot work properly against each other. It is only because he and his Death Eaters were so distracted by this that I was able to get through the Death Eaters surrounding us and make it back to the portkey.

And fifth year was nothing more than a giant blunder. One that got my godfather killed. It was shear luck that none of my friends were killed. Voldemort would have killed me if Dumbledore hadn't intervened." Harry finished, his eye downcast as he thought about Sirius and how he was the cause of his death.

"So because you had a little help in the end you credit it all to luck? Even without its eyes a basilisk is one of the deadliest creatures in the world and yet a mere child was able to destroy it. And in the Ministry last month you and your friends were able to hold off Voldemort's most powerful and cruelest Death Eaters for a **very** long time before help arrived. I understand that you taught your friends defense last year when that ministry cow refused to do so. The actions and abilities of your group of friends shows that you did an excellent job. The only thing I can think of that you did wrong was that you did not know how to work together in a combat situation so that is a major factor in what you will be learning from us." Moody lectured as his magical eye once again began spinning in its socket. "So Potter since you seem to be filled with good luck lets see how it holds out. Get on up to the platform." His voice boomed off the walls in the nearly empty hall and Harry's friends looked at him with sympathy written all over their faces as Harry gulped and moved forward to meet the ageing Auror.

"Now Potter, I'm sure you know the rules of a friendly duel so I will not bother to go over them." Harry simply nodded before bowing respectfully to his opponent but was suddenly caught off guard as a stunner came shooting towards him. Barely getting out of the way in time Harry shoot Moody a poisonous glare for which he only smirked.

"Never take your eyes off of your opponent. While bowing to an adversary may be required in a dueling tournament, it is not in battle. A Death Eaters will take your momentary lack of focus and turn it to his advantage so I don't want to see any more bowing, understand?" He growled to the others before turning back to Harry. "Now, we begin."

Immediately both combatants began launching curse after curse towards each other with blinding speed and pinpoint accuracy only to have them miss their targets and impacted the golden shield surrounding them. Although Harry liked to think his skills were at least fair he had a lot of trouble avoiding 'Mad Eye's' curses. His main problem lay in the fact that he could not hear what curses his opponent was using and therefore could not properly counter them and as a result he was forced to keep moving at a very fast pace. Moody on the other hand, who's knowledge of curses and counter curses was unparalleled, had nearly no trouble at all holding off Harry's attacks even with his physical shortcomings. Suddenly Harry was thrown to the ground when a bludgeoning spell violently impacted his left shoulder.

Grunting with pain he quickly rolled over to avoid a stunning spell and pulled himself back to his feet. Very quickly an idea suddenly came to him. With an almost wicked grin Harry swiftly sidestepped three more curses before raising his wand and crying out, _"Expecto Patronum!" _Immediately a giant silver stag burst forth from Harry's wand and began to charge down the surprised Auror. However since it could not do any damage Harry knew that this was not enough of a distraction. _"Acio wooden leg!" _If Moody and everyone else was surprised at Harry calling up his Patronus they were deeply shocked now. The peg leg being ripped out from under its owner had the desired effect as Moody began falling to the floor. _"Expelliarmus!" _

The disarming charm collided with his instructor just as he hit the ground, effectively knocking him back several feet while his wand sailed through the air to land on the platform at Harry's feet. He had hoped and believed that his idea would work but now that he had beaten the best Auror in centuries in a one on one duel he was finding it difficult to believe so he merely stood rooted to his spot as he stared down at the wand in laying in front of him. It seemed everyone else was just as shocked since all they could do was simply stare with their mouths wide open. Soon, however, a sound did reach Harry's hears, the sound of whispering. Looking back up from the floor Harry's eye didn't even get a chance to go wide as a disarming spell slammed into his chest sending him flying off his feet and colliding with the golden shield that sent a few shocks of electricity through him. Looking up in a daze he saw Moody looking down at him from where he stood balancing himself on one leg with a feral grin, another wand clutched tightly in his right hand. "Shit." Harry muttered to himself with a groan.

"Interesting tactics there Potter, however you overlooked a very important detail. You assumed that by taking my wand that I was beaten. Did it not occur to you that I may have another one or a different weapon all together? A duel is not over until one or both participants are completely unable to continue. Just because you have taken someone's wand does not mean they will give up. And it does not mean you should show them mercy. Now go take a seat, Longbottom get up here." He finished as he strapped his peg leg back on and got ready to face Neville. Harry walked back to his chair in a daze as he thought about what had just happened. He had beaten him plain and simple. Then he threw away that victory because he lost focus and didn't pay attention. Granted, yes he was still pleased with how he preformed but was upset at himself over his neglect. One by one the other nine students took their turn to face Moody and every one of them lost although most put up a good fight.

"Alright, now that that is taken care of we can begin planning your training regiment for the time being." Tonks began and then informed them of what they will be training, with who and when. As promised they had to run around the lake every morning beginning at five a.m. The moment they are finished running they will begin three hours of dueling practice followed by a late lunch. Afterwards they were to be tutored for three hours in charms, transfiguration, potions, healing, defense or survival skills depending on the day. The evenings would be left free for them to do as they pleased. They would keep this schedule for the rest of the summer except the running which will be dropped when their different teams are formed. Training with them would then take the place of running. However much the most of the student's displeasure potions was the lesson they would be having that first day.

"Three hours of potions! What was Dumbledore thinking? We will be lucky to get out of here alive." Ron complained to anyone that would listen as they sat waiting for their lesson to begin. He was quickly silenced however when Professor Snape stalked into the room.

"You are all here because the Headmaster is under the misguided belief that every one of you is capable of learning the knowledge I have to offer. I am not as optimistic. Summer or not you will follow the rules of this class as if it were taking place during the regular school term. If you do not, you will regret it." He sneered at Harry for a moment as he surveyed the class before waving his wand and a series of instructions appeared on the previously blank black board.

"While here you will learn to brew some of the most complicated potions known to man. They each have their place in a war time setting whether it be a strengthening potion to quicken your reflexes or some form of concealment draught so you can move around in stealth. Not only are these highly difficult to brew but they are also highly dangerous. The simplest mistake can quickly turn your potion into a poison. It is because of this that you will be working on your own instead of with a partner that way you don't take some poor fool with you when you kill yourself when it comes time to test whatever foul concoction you managed to complete. The first you will learn is the strengthening potion, the directions are on the board, now get busy."

When Snape had said that the potion was difficult he wasn't kidding. It required almost constant attention while often having to do two or even three things simultaneously. Of all the potions that Harry had brewed in his five years at Hogwarts this was the first one that actually required magic to brew. At regular fifteen minute intervals both cooling charms and thinning charms had to be used to prevent it from boiling over and hardening. By the time class was over Harry and his friends were pouring their potions into several vials where they would sit for four days until they matured. After a moments thought Harry put several unbreakable and locking charms on his samples to prevent anyone, namely Snape, from destroying them or adding something else to ruin them.

After class Harry sat down in a large comfortable armchair in front of the fire in the newly furnished common room. Almost immediately his friends descended upon him.

"Harry what happened? Why did Dumbledore what to see you?" Hermione asked quickly much to Harry's amusement.

"I'm surprised Hermione, I expected you to ambush me at lunch for any details." He said with a grin causing his friend to blush in embarrassment.

"Well I would have but between the run around the lake and three hours of dueling I was to tired to think about it much less care about the answer. So what did he want?"

"Alright, well Dumbledore wanted to see me because Remus found several books in the Chamber of Secrets that he needs me and Blaise to translate." He explained and enjoyed watching the looks of shock and disbelief pass over their faces. After a few moments Ginny cleared her throat.

"Not to sound patronizing or anything but since when are you qualified to translate anything? I mean the only language you speak is English."

"You don't get it." Harry began with a chuckle. "There are several books written in parseltongue so obviously no one else can read it. However Blaise is translating some scrolls written in ancient runes since she is the best student in that subject and Professor Vector is out of the country for the summer." At their dumbfounded expressions Harry explained how the written language of parseltongue was developed long ago by a witch named Methina and how every parselmouth since has had an instinctual knowledge of this language. To say they were surprised would have been an understatement. After they were able to shake off their shock they were able to begin discussions on lighter and more uplifting topics and skirted such subjects like Voldemort. After some time they decided that it was time to go to bed so they would be well rested when they were rudely woken the next morning to begin their run around the lake.

The next four days progressed much the same way the first did except Harry and Blaise did their reading after their final class of the day. However, that monotone sense of repetition was about to change.

On the fifth day of their training Harry and Blaise were sitting in the library reading. As Harry predicted Hermione insisted on helping to translated the ancient scrolls. Unfortunately that left Blaise in a position of pretending to do the same while she was present. After nearly an hour of reading, Hermione took one of the scrolls up to the Hogwarts library to find a reference to compare with the scroll. Blaise gave a sigh of relief and put down her scroll in favor of a book written in the snake language.

Harry sat reading and could not help the grin forming due to the Slytherin's predicament. After that first day he began writing down any personal thoughts or emotional outbursts that he found written by Salazar Slytherin. He had been sharing these notes with Professor Dumbledore and the old headmaster was trying to come up with some sort of psychological profile of the most mysterious of the Hogwarts founders.

He was in the process of reading yet another boring entry about conflicts between students when a sharp gasp pulled his attention towards Blaise. Looking over towards Salazar Slytherin's desk he saw that her face had gone as white as a sheet and her eyes seemed to bulge out of her skull as she continued to look between the book and Harry himself.

"Um, I , I think you should see this Potter." She choked out.

"What is it?" Harry asked worriedly as he walked over.

"It's a warning. Written by Salazar Slytherin himself, to his heir."

"What? What do you mean?" He asked, not sure if he wanted to read it himself. After taking a few deep breaths Blaise continued clearly seeing Harry's reluctance.

"Everyone knows that Rowena Ravenclaw was a seer. She didn't have visions very often but when she did they were always accurate so no one ever questioned her ability. Evidently she gave a prophecy through a trance that only Slytherin witnessed, so it was never recorded, except for here in this book. And since it came through a trance she didn't even remember it herself."

"So, Slytherin recorded this prophecy and a warning for his heir to find. I have a very bad feeling about this." Harry muttered in trepidation.

"And as well you should. Read it!" Blaise ordered as she stood up and began pacing around the room. Harry sat for several minutes staring blankly at anything other than the book in front of him. "READ IT ALREADY!" Blaise barked in annoyance. Taking a deep breath Harry turned the page that held Slytherin's warning to the page with the prophecy.

'_When the heir of the snake finds that which was lost and releases the evil it contains a sequence shall start that can not be avoided. One shall fall before the heir leaves his lair to seek the power he craves and the obedience he demands. He shall reach new heights, and new lows until he is halted by his equal. Sought after since birth the lion will meet the heir at every turn and the mark of the storm shall be his banner. Through life he shall be hardened, through pain he shall be molded and with the love and the aid of the Brides he shall emerge victorious.'_

When Harry finished reading he once again felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. There were many parallels between his life and what is described in this prophecy but much still remained confusing. And judging by her reaction Blaise had been thinking the same. Unfortunately Harry didn't have the will power to deny that this prophecy COULD also apply to him. As much as he didn't really want to do it he felt he had to speak to Dumbledore and ask his opinion. Standing up, he picked the book up and made his way out of the library. As a thought struck him he turned back to Blaise.

"Don't tell anyone about this, anyone at all." He ordered her in a tone that said clearly that it was not up for debate before stalking out.

As Harry prowled through the corridors of Hogwarts he felt his anger reach new heights at this new prophecy. It was not that everyone expected him to defeat Voldemort or that he KNEW he was the only one capable of defeating him. No it was the fact that his future seemed to be predetermined and he had no say whatsoever in how his life were to play out. Learning of the first prophecy, Trelawney's, had effectively killed any hopes of ever having a normal life. This second one simply put the last nail in the coffin that belonged to the life he had always wanted.

Before he knew it he was standing outside of Dumbledore's office when he realized that he had no idea what the password could be. The only two times he had been in there this summer he had entered using a portkey. He had met with the Headmaster a few times in other locations but the subject of his password never came up. After some time he got lucky with 'blood pops' and the gargoyle slid aside. Harry quickly marched up the stairs and without knocking he stormed into the office to reveal a rather surprised Dumbledore. He quickly made sure no one else was present before he approached to desk and slammed down the book.

"Read that!" He growled before pacing around the room in deep thought.

"I don't know if you realize it Harry but I can't read it." Dumbledore commented with an amused yet very confused and slightly concerned voice. Harry didn't even seem to notice the older man speak as he continued his pacing. Without even a second thought, or a first one for that matter, he waved his hand in the general direction of the book. Other than that simple gesture Harry ignored everything around him.

Dumbledore was watching Harry with concern when we quickly waved his hand in his direction. Sensing the gentle flow of magic from the gesture the old man looked down to see if Harry had unconsciously turned his beard pink, a feet Sirius Black had accomplished on numerous occasions. What he saw was not what he was expecting. His beard was in perfect order, however the text on the pages in front of him was not. Where nothing more than wavy lines once resided neat and proper English now stood.

Dumbledore quickly raised his head to ask Harry how he was able to accomplish this but decided against it for the time being as he still had a far away look to him. Turning his attention back to the ancient volume and began reading. His curiosity quickly changed to surprise and then to shock as he finished reading the prophecy. Looking back up, he was met with burning green eyes.

"Well, judging by your reaction I see you have come to a conclusion as to the subject of this prophecy. Would you care to share that conclusion?" He asked kindly much to Harry's shock and disbelief.

"What?" He nearly screamed before turning to the portraits of the former Headmasters. "Is he always this thick so soon before a meal?" He asked much to the portraits amusement.

"Not usually, but his brother stole the last of his lemon drops this morning so he's having withdrawals." Replied a man Harry recognized as Armando Dippet.

"No, not at all Harry. I have a fair idea what this is referring to but as this research is your area, I will leave it to you." Dumbledore explained much to Harry's confusion. If he knew what it meant than why bother having Harry explain it.

"Err… Ok. Well I'm going to assume that the 'heir of the snake' is Voldemort since he is the last remaining descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Now it says that the heir will find that which was lost and release the evil it contains. That could easily refer to Voldemort finding the Chamber of Secrets while he was a student and releasing the basilisk which killed Moaning Myrtle, '_One shall fall before the heir leaves his lair'._ It goes on to describe a search for power and obedience which is exactly what Voldemort did after graduating from Hogwarts. This prophecy talks of the 'heir' being stopped by his equal just as Trelawney's prophecy said that 'the dark lord will mark him as his equal'.

Now if Voldemort and I are the ones described here than I have no idea why I would be referred to as the lion. But it says that, 'the mark of the storm will be his banner," Harry paused as he tapped the lightening bolt shaped scar that made him so famous. "Then we have the last part. Hard life, yes. Pain, yes. 'With the love and aid of the brides he shall emerge victorious.' I have no idea what the hell that is supposed to mean. So what did you come up with?" Harry asked hopefully. If this was indeed about him he wanted to get the whole meaning as soon as possible.

"Roughly the same thing actually at the same parts. However I am at a loss as to the other parts as well. The reference to the lion could indicate an animagus form, a member of Gryffindor house or even one of Gryffindor blood. The reference to the 'Brides' seems awfully familiar to me. I am sure I have read something similar before but I will have to do some research on the subject before I can come to any concrete conclusion. Now I was wondering, how were you able to translate that text." The Headmaster asked with growing curiosity as he picked the book up to see that the words had once again reverted back to parseltongue. However Harry just looked at him blankly.

"What?"

"Ah, just as I thought. In your agitation and other pressures weighing on you, you were subconsciously able to translate the text of the prophecy for a short time. Did you not wonder how I knew it without you reading it to me?" He explained with a warm smile causing Harry to look down in embarrassment.

"I didn't really think about it. You knew what it said so who cares how."

"Indeed. Well it's getting late so why don't we head down to the Great Hall for dinner. Without any lemon drops for a full day I find myself exceptionally hungry." Harry gave a short chuckle at this before turning around and leaving the office with the Headmaster right behind him.

**TBC**


	5. Prophecies and Prisons

Reposted on 11/8/05

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Five: Prophecies and Prisons **

Five days had passed since Harry had shown the new prophecy to Dumbledore and the old Headmaster was still at a loss for the meaning of some of the more mysterious lines. 'With the love and aid of the 'Brides' he shall emerge victorious'. He thought to himself for what felt like countless times. He was positive he had heard a reference similar to this before but the knowledge seemed to be just out of his reach. However another key part, he had his own theory.

"You could help, you know?" He stated in annoyance as he looked up to the portraits of the previous Headmasters hanging on the walls of his office.

"Sorry old boy, but you know as much as we do that we weren't very good scholars even when we were alive." Came the amused voice of Amanda Prewitt who held the office some three hundred years ago. "Come to think of it, you are probably the first Headmaster that actually deserved the position." Albus simply grunted while laughter echoed through the room but it was suddenly silenced as the door opened to allow Harry Potter, Blaise Zabini and Nymphadora Tonks to enter.

"Ah, come in, come in. Sorry Ms. Tonks but can you wait outside for a moment. Thank you." Dumbledore asked cheerfully as they entered. Tonks looked extremely curious but simply nodded and did as asked while Harry and Blaise took the seats offered to them while looking confused as to why their research was interrupted. "Now Blaise, Harry has informed me that you originally discovered the text of this new prophecy, correct?" He asked seriously. All signs cheerfulness fled his voice, to be replaced with a cold determination. The change was so sudden that it almost startled the two students.

"Yes sir." She answered simply, confused at what this had to do with anything.

"I would like your opinion on its contents. As we are the only three who know of its existence I would like to cover all the bases and your analytical mind can be most helpful." It took Blaise a moment to get over the shock of the most powerful wizard in the world asking her for help but she quickly composed herself enough to respond. But when she got started she could put even Hermione to shame.

"Well sir while some parts are unclear to me and others downright confusing, after reading it over several times I could only conclude that it was about Potter and the Dark Lord!"

"And why is that?" The Headmaster asked inquisitively.

"Well claiming that the 'mark of the storm' will be the 'lion's banner' was a big clue given Potter's scar, which he received from the 'heir of the snake'. Also in the magical world we know that there is a fate, or at least a driving force behind everything. And it seems that it is not without a sense of irony." She stated with a smirk while the two males in the room looked on in confusion.

"Maybe I'm missing something but I have no idea what you just said." Harry said in annoyance while Dumbledore simply blinked in confusion.

"Everyone knows of the powers of a true seer. They go into deep trances and begin prophesizing but have no clue as to what happened when they wake up. In which case what good would a gift like that do, what purpose would it serve if no one was around to hear it. Every branch of magic out there has a logical use for either good or evil. What is the logical use of _seeing_ if you can't communicate what you saw? So it stands to reason that whatever it is that powers this gift and controls when a seer goes into a trance, it is also controlling something else. A way for the information to get to where it needs to go. Namely to the ones that need to hear the specific prophecy. In this case, Slytherin heard the prophecy and recorded it in parseltongue and hid it in the Chamber of Secrets with a warning to his heir. He put it in the one place he felt it would be safe and that only his heir could get to. Voldemort found his way down there but so did Potter. They are both parselmouths and quite capable of getting the information."

"But that doesn't mean anything. You're a parselmouth as well and you found the bloody thing, how does that come out of what you said?" Harry asked in exasperation. He had no clue what the girl was going on about but Dumbledore had a pensive look about him.

"You're forgetting Potter, I may have found it but I showed it to you. There may have been a go between but YOU still got the information. Also, look at the rest of the evidence. Voldemort, Slytherin's heir, has been hunting you relentlessly since before you were born. He personally murdered some of the most powerful wizards and witches in the world only to be stopped by a one year old infant. A confrontation that left you that scar. Now that Voldemort is back and once again pursuing you and being an all round bad guy, many people, believe it or not will look to you to lead them, not Dumbledore, you. Why, because you were able to do what even he could not! The line 'the mark of the storm shall be his banner' does not simply refer to the scar you carry. The term 'banner' insinuates that you will be a strong leader in this fight. Also you are probably Gryffindor's heir." She added as an after thought as if she were stating something trivial.

"WHAT?" Both Harry and Dumbledore yelled at once. "What left field did that come from? There is nothing in there that implies anything of the sort." Harry continued adamantly while the Headmaster nodded his agreement. While it was a possibility it was a very small one but the way Blaise said it, it sounded as though it were almost guaranteed.

"Gryffindors." Blaise muttered to herself. "Simply look at history. Professor, what did Gryffindor do the night that he drove Slytherin back and prevented him from taking the school?" She asked the older man as if he were a child taking a test. He did not take insult to this but thought hard for several minutes before his eyes shot wide open.

"He vowed on his very magic that he and his descendents would always guard against Slytherin and his descendents." He answered in a monotone voice as if he were reciting a textbook. Blaise on the other hand looked triumphant.

"Exactly, his vow was more powerful than any magically binding contract, his children and his children's children would have no choice but to fulfill that vow. It is ingrained in their very being. Even if they wanted to get out of it they couldn't, but none of them ever tried to my knowledge. It will also explain why Voldemort could not kill you."

"Once again, what does that prove? It is pure speculation. The fact that Voldemort's curse rebounded on him is a fluke, luck, plain and simple." Harry almost screamed. He clearly did not like being the subject of some history debate. Thankfully Dumbledore caught on and continued.

"No Harry. Blaise's theory explains a great deal. Because of Godric's vow he unintentionally bound both lines. The battles between these lines are legendary. Some were minor skirmishes others were great confrontations that encompassed a great many lands. They all ended with one killing the other. Thankfully of the handful of times Gryffindor's heirs were killed they still managed to take Slytherin's with them. There has not been a fight of that kind in over four centuries when both lines vanished into obscurity." Dumbledore paused for a moment as he got his thoughts in order before continuing.

"The possible reason that Voldemort's spell rebounded could also come from this bond. While he was drawn to you because of the first prophecy Gryffindor's vow protected you because the magic would not allow the last of the line to be killed before you were able to continue this fight. So while you were growing up and later learning magic Voldemort was forced onto the sidelines while you grew. It would explain a great many things but we must find out for sure if you are indeed descended from Godric Gryffindor." Harry had tuned the Headmaster out after he had explained the rebounding of the curse.

Harry thought back to his first year when he was told that he was saved because his mother had died for him. That her sacrifice and love had protected him. For an orphan who had never known his parents that meant a great deal to him. Longing for what he had never and could never know, such as a parents love, often left him feeling weak and vulnerable when he lays awake at night wishing for any life but his own. His very life was proof that his parents had loved him very much and that had comforted him in those long nights. But now that guarantee was gone to be replaced by a much more cold and insignificant explanation.

Now that he thought about it, it seemed like wishful thinking. How many children have been killed by that very curse right after their parents? He guessed he never really thought about it, not wanting to put any doubt on how he survived. He was a little ashamed to admit that he wanted to believe that his parents loved him much more than all of those others did and that was why Voldemort was beaten.

He sat for quite some time pondering Blaise's theories and their implications. He believed one hundred percent that he was the one referred to as the lion and he was even willing to go with the young Slytherins strange theory that fate seemed to want him and Voldemort to find this prophecy. But the thought of him as the heir of Gryffindor was absolutely ludicrous. Just because the heir of Slytherin had it in for him didn't automatically qualify him as wizarding nobility. He was after many people. Not to mention the idea seemed to be too much of a headache. Being his heir doesn't help him in any way so why the fuss. He was already expected to kill Voldemort even by those that did not know either prophecy. With a deep sigh he turned his attention back to the other occupants of the office to see them pouring over centuries old documents trying to find a place to start in their genealogical search of Harry's ancestors.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked in confusion as the two seemed to be in their element when it came to research. And it greatly disturbed him that he was their topic.

"Looking for a place to start our search. Haven't you been paying attention Potter? Bloodlines can be tricky business, especially going this far back." Blaise answered in annoyance before lowering her head once again.

"Why don't you simply ask?" Dumbledore looked up in confusion while Blaise looked annoyed.

"Potter, are you or are you not a descendant of Godric Gryffindor?" She asked sarcastically.

"Don't be patronizing. I didn't mean ask me, I meant that damn hat." He shot back heatedly. Blaise was ready to release another barrage of sarcastic snappish comments which would no doubt be things one usually refrained from saying in front of Professor Dumbledore when she stopped herself.

'Did he just say what I think he said?' She thought to herself as she looked between Harry, Dumbledore and even the paintings on the wall. Each face clearly said that she had heard right and that they were thinking the same thing. 'He did, my god the boy is cracking up.'

"Potter is a nutcase." A drawling voice sounded through the room.

"Shut it Black." Harry growled out at the painting of Phineas Nigellus, one of the patriarchs of the Black family.

"You must admit Harry, that did seem rather, 'mad', even given what goes on around here most of the time." Dumbledore said in a calming tone laced with concern.

"For god's sake. Get out of my way." He growled out as he marched over to the Headmaster's desk. Blaise and Dumbledore quickly jumped out of his way but he proceeded around the desk and to the shelves behind it.

"You, wake up!" He said irritably as he poked the sorting hat several times while realization dawned on everyone else. Soon light grumbling was heard before a rather grumpy voice spoke out.

"Another year has come and gone then come again and again and again. See the pattern forming. I was to lazy to write a song this year so just put me on and then bugger off." There was a good deal of chuckling going around in the portraits but the three living occupants were focused on other matters as Harry put on the hat. It took several moments but soon it began to speak.

"Another Potter already, that boy got started early didn't he!" The hat gruffly said aloud in a provocative manner. While Blaise, the portraits and even Dumbledore found this statement incredibly amusing it really grated on Harry's nerves.

"I…"

"I know you're the same Potter!" The hat snapped, cutting off Harry's arguments. "So, you finally discovered your family's secret. To answer your question, yes, you are my creator's heir. Now put me up and let me go back to sleep. And get me a blanket." It nearly shouted this last statement causing Harry to jump in surprise. He quickly took the hat off and placed it back on its shelf and almost immediately a soft snoring could be heard.

"So, that answers that question!" Albus said cheerfully as if he had not just heard some rather insane ramblings from a hat. Harry however had his face set in resignation.

"Well, its better than Slytherin!" He sighed to himself causing Blaise to glare. "Nothing against the house of course, but being related to that loony would just be too much. Reading through his journals was very disturbing." Harry said with a shiver much to Blaise's confusion.

"The man was obviously completely insane but he didn't detail any of his cruelty in them so what did you find so disturbing?" She asked curiously as Albus sat back and watched the two interact with a small smile.

"It wasn't what he said, it was how he said it. Like calling muggles and muggleborns 'things'."

"Yeah, why did he do that?" She asked and Harry looked at her for a moment thinking she was being sarcastic when he remembered that psychology was almost nonexistent in the magical world.

"He did it to de-humanize his enemies!" At her confused look he continued. "By looking at his enemies as something less than human he felt he could justify all the cruelty he inflicted on them. He looked upon himself as if he were God and he was ridding the world of trash. If you were to live your life not caring about anyone or anything and you saw everyone around you as somehow beneath you, just imagine what you could do. I heard someone say once that 'only after we have lost everything are we free to do anything.'

I never really understood that until I read those journals. Slytherin, and now Voldemort, believed that nothing on this earth mattered but him. A man like that is more dangerous than any weapon a man could construct and death is the only thing in their future. Many people think that if the Ministry and others stopped attacking the Death Eaters than they would stop attacking others. They don't realize that the only way to stop men like Voldemort and his more viscous Death Eaters like Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange is to kill them." Harry suddenly stopped in confusion as a strange look momentarily passed within Dumbledore's eyes at the mention of Bellatrix's name. It was so quick that he just shrugged it off as his imagination. Only then did he realize how long he had been talking and Dumbledore and Blaise were staring at him.

"What?" He asked as he shifted nervously under their gaze. When they had shook off their stupor Blaise was the first to speak.

"Sorry but I did not expect to hear something so insightful from a Gryffindor." She said with a smirk.

"Thanks." Harry responded with sarcasm before turning back to Dumbledore. "Now that we got all of that settled was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh, yes there was. Miss Tonks, could you please come back in now." He called to Tonks who was still waiting outside. After a few moments with no response Dumbledore stood from his desk and made his way towards the door as Harry turned to Blaise to discuss her theories about the prophecy again. What Dumbledore saw after opening his office door was both incredibly amusing and incredibly annoying.

Nymphadora Tonks was sitting at the top of the stairs side by side with his brother Aberforth. They were leaning against the wall while playing tic tac toe on the opposite wall. Dumbledore probably would have chuckled at the sight when the two looked up if it weren't for the fact that his brother had one of his lemon drops between his lips and the rest of the bag he had stolen several days before resting in his hand. Leaning over, he snatched his favorite sweets out of his brother's hand before straightening himself up again. Immediately Aberforth sucked in the lemon drop that he had between his lips as if he thought his brother would try to take that one back as well.

"Well my dear it appears we shall have to finish our game another time. It is just as well, I believe Emily has somehow caught a number of fleas so I should go give her a bath." Aberforth said as he picked himself up off the floor and proceeded to skip down the stairs while humming a rather annoying tune that caused Tonks to laugh as she pulled herself to her feet.

"I like him. He's actually pretty funny. Is he insane or something?" She said as she turned back to the more 'stable' of the Dumbledore brothers.

"Not really, that's just the way he is. I think he does it to annoy me." Albus answered with a deep sigh.

"By the way, who's Emily?" Tonks asked as she entered the office.

"She is Aberforth's Phoenix. She is actually Fawkes' mother but now is not the time to discuss such things." He answered as he sat back down behind his desk as Tonks took a seat beside Blaise. He smiled briefly as he watched Harry and Blaise talk in a civilized manner before lightly coughing to get their attention.

"Oh, sorry sir!" Blaise said as the two teens turned back towards their Headmaster.

"Quite alright my dear, quite alright." He said with a smile. "Now the other reason why I wanted to see you is because Mr. Ollivander needs to see the two of you for the next stage of your new wands construction. It was a necessity that Harry's new wand be constructed as soon as possible, since his original wand is a brother wand to Voldemort's, so his will be one of the first completed. However since you Blaise will be working closely with Harry yours is being done at the same time.

From what I understand both wands are already significantly stronger than your originals but Mr. Ollivander would like the two of you to stop by his shop today so that you can help him out. Before you ask why I must tell you that I do not know what he needs from you. All that he would tell me is that he has developed some new safe guards and he would like your wands to be the prototypes if you are willing to proceed after he has explained the process to you. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir." The two answered as one even though they were both confused as to why he would need their help in making the wands when neither one had any clue as to how the process worked.

"Good, now Miss Tonks here will escort the two of you to Diagon Alley. There are also other members of the Order stationed there in case of a possible attack. You will have a few hours so that you may purchase anything that you deem necessary for the time that you are here this summer. And I must stress the importance of being careful while you are outside of these walls. If something goes wrong please let the professionals handle it unless you have no other option. Though he has acknowledged Voldemort's return Minister Fudge still sees myself and you Harry as a threat to his position of power. I doubt that he would pass up the opportunity to charge you with underage magic again if the opportunity arose."

"Yes sir." Harry answered in a monotone voice as he thought about the bumbling fool that ran the Ministry of Magic. "How are we getting there?"

"By floo powder." Dumbledore said with a smile as he anticipated Harry's reaction and he wasn't disappointed.

"Great, just great." Harry groaned as he heard Blaise groan as well from beside him.

"Well, lets get going." Tonks said in a cheerful voice as she skipped over to the fireplace only to trip on the carpet. Luckily for her she was able to catch hold of the table beside her to steady herself to prevent herself from falling on her face. After she straightened herself she lifted a bronze canister from the mantel and took a handful of floo powder before tossing it into the fireplace. The flames instantly roared and turn green. Quickly stepping in she shouted out her destination and with another roar from the flames she was gone.

Harry stepped up next and with a deep sigh he tossed the powder in to the flames before stepping in. Almost instantly he felt the familiar feeling of the warm flames licking across his body before he called out, "Diagon Alley," as he prayed that he would end up in the right place. He quickly shut his eyes tight as his head began to spin from seeing a great many fireplaces swiftly pass before his eyes. After mere seconds that felt like hours he stumbled out of the fire and nearly feel face first into the stone floor. After steadying himself he looked around and was relieved to find himself standing in the Leaky Cauldron with Tonks just a few feet away where she was still trying to stand back up. A slow smile spread across his face as he realized that he had actually managed to stay on his feet for once before he was suddenly knocked backwards by a strong force that sent him tumbling to the ground.

Looking up he was greatly surprised to see Blaise's face mere inches from his as her body lay across his. As their eyes locked Harry became instantly aware of every curve of her body as it lay atop his as a deep blush crept across his face. However he seemed unable to tear his eyes away from hers.

"Are we going to go or did the two of you plan on remaining on the floor the entire day." Tonks said with a smirk as she looked down at them. Quick as lightening the two shot up off the floor and looked at anything other than each other as Tonks laughed in a loud manner at their discomfort drawing the attention of many of the customers who openly stared at the group that included the famous 'Boy Who Lived'. "Come on." She gasped out and led the two towards the back and Harry could feel the eyes of nearly everybody there on him as he walked behind the two witches.

As the three entered Diagon Alley a strange feeling passed over Harry and would not leave. In confusion he stopped for a moment and tried to figure out what could be causing it. After nearly a minute he came up with nothing and decided to think about it later and ran to catch up with Tonks and Blaise who did not seem to notice that he had stopped walking.

"Alright we will stop by Ollivander's first and find out what it is he needs from the two of you. Is that alright with you?" Tonks asked. They simply nodded in response and they quickly made their way to the old wand maker's shop. It took nearly fifteen minutes to fight their way through the crowds that had decided to shop for the new school year early before they had finally reached their destination only to find it packed with young children with their parents there to by their first wand. The three sighed in resignation before taking seats off to the side of the shop to wait until the old man was finished with his customers. At one point one of the children had looked over in their direction and noticed Harry or more importantly Harry's scar. The excitable young girl had immediately turned to some of her friends and told them that Harry Potter was in the shop. For the next several minutes Harry was swamped with little kids and their parents who wanted to meet him. At the horrified look on Harry's face Tonks once again burst out in laughter. Blaise of course had her customary mask of indifference on her face but you could tell by her eyes that she found the whole situation humorous.

As she watched Harry being surrounded by nearly twenty people Blaise thought about how much had changed in just the past several days. At the beginning of the summer she would have thought that Harry had been raised as a prince and that he would have relished such attention but now she knew better. Just from a few passing comments he had made over the course of the week she was able to figure out that Harry wasn't treated very well at home over the summer much less like a prince. With such neglect and lack of attention as a child it was no wonder why he didn't like all the attention that gets heaped upon him. He simply isn't used to people caring about him and when they do he doesn't know how to react. 'Wait a minute. Since when do I call 'Potter' Harry?' She thought to herself as she looked on.

"Excuse me please." A magnified voice echoed throughout the shop. Everyone immediately turned their attention to Mr. Ollivander who was standing behind the front counter. "I have some important private business to conduct so if everyone could please come back later today I would be most appreciative. Thank you." He announced the very moment he had noticed that Harry and Blaise had arrived. He quickly removed the charm on his voice before making his way over to the two teens and Tonks as the other customers left the store, though some of them were not happy about having to wait to conduct their business later.

"Would the three of you please follow me?" He said in a very excited voice as he led them into the back. After passing through the storeroom he led them up a flight of stairs and into a room that obviously served as his work shop.

Work tables and benches lined every wall with cabinets hanging above them. Every one of the tables were literally covered with bundles of many different forms of wood and samples of various things that were obviously meant to serve as the core of a wand. Turning his attention to the old wand maker Harry saw him approach what appeared to be nothing more than a blank piece of the wall. He lifted his arm and placed his right hand on the wall and Harry was amazed to see his hand pass right through it. When he pulled his arm out of the wall he had two long boxes clutched in his hand and an excited look on his face as if he were a child on Christmas morning.

"Now first, Miss Zabini." He said as he beckoned the young woman over to one of the tables as he set down one of the boxes. "Now since your first wand had a unicorn hair as its core the Griffin feather you supplied me will make for a very nice companion wand." He informed her as he opened the box he still had in his hand. Turning the box to her she let out a gasp as she looked upon the beautiful wand that was inside.

"The wand itself is twelve inches long and is made out of petrified redwood. This will give it more durability incase it is every exposed to extreme conditions or is handled roughly. It was coated and polished with molten diamond dust to help stabilize the power contained in the core. Go ahead and try it out." He said excitedly as he held it out to her. Throughout his description Blaise's eyes had never left the wand and she was only to happy to give it a try. With a shaky hand she lifted the wand from the safety of its box and was immediately overcome with a warm feeling that seemed to envelope her like a blanket.

Giving the wand a casual wave she was amazed at the power that came from it as many of the things lying around the room were lifted up and began spinning around the ceiling at an incredible speed. Throughout this little show Mr. Ollivander was jumping around the room and pumping his fist in the air as if he had just won the world cup. After a few moments he took his own wand out and levitated everything back down and put it in its proper place.

"And now Mr. Potter." He said as he waved Harry over. Harry could hardly contain his excitement and nearly ran over to the table. "Now Mr. Potter your wand is unlike any over that I have ever made." At Harry's questioning look he simple motioned him to open he box that lay before him. Harry was quick to oblige him and when he opened the box he immediately froze in shock at what he saw.

"My god!" Harry gasped out.

"What?" Tonks asked curiously as she stood off to the side. As an answer Harry lifted the wand out of the box to show it to her and Blaise. Their reactions were very similar to Harry's. The wand itself was about eleven inches long but it was made out of two different materials instead of just one.

"As you can see the basilisk fang was large enough that I could shape it to my liking and use it as the wand shaft if I also add a handle. Using the fang as the shaft also gave me the opportunity to save other components for the core." He explained as Harry ran his hand over the long pure white shaft that had nearly killed him once. "The core is made up of a mixture of the venom that was still present in the fang when I received it and phoenix tears. Now normally this mixture would be incredibly unstable but the addition of the platinum handle helps to overcome that." He explained as everyone stood staring at the wand in shock. No one had ever made a wand out of anything other than wood before much less part of a magical creature as powerful as a basilisk. And to mix their venom with phoenix tears. The whole thing was just too incredible. Both Tonks and Blaise were dying to see the wand in use but there was also a part of them that wanted to get far away from that thing incase something went wrong.

With a shake of his head Harry pulled himself out of his stupor and gave the wand a wave. With what sounded like a clap of thunder the entire back wall was blown out within the span of less than a second. Tonks, Blaise and Ollivander had immediately thrown themselves to the floor to avoid any debris while Harry stood in shock at what he had done and fear at what Mr. Ollivander's reaction would be. After several moments the others pulled themselves off the floor and the two girls turned to Harry in shock while Ollivander went to check the hole in his wall. When he turned around Harry was about to begin apologizing profusely when he stopped short. Instead of looking at Harry with outrage he actually looked the happiest Harry had ever seen him.

"Mr. Potter, do you know what this means?" He asked in a giddy voice that surprised everyone. To far gone to form words Harry merely shook his head. "It means that that wand is the most powerful to ever come out of this shop. And we have been making wands for centuries. Never have I seen such a reaction on its first use."

"But your wall." Harry said after he managed to pull himself together.

"Don't worry about that. That happens every now and then when I experiment with 'unusual' combinations of woods and magical cores so no one will pay any attention to who or what caused it. Besides it is simple enough to repair. Now I'm sure Albus told you that I needed to see you so that you could help me finish your new wands?" He asked after his explanation.

"Yes sir but after what just happened I thought they were done." Blaise said in confusion.

"Normally yes they would be done. However I am working on something new and it has to be done after the wand is constructed but before it is used to many times." He explained.

'That was helpful.' Harry thought to himself with sarcasm. "Ok." He said slowly. "So why do you need our help?"

"Because I intend to bond the two of you to your new wands. Through this bond only you will be able to use it. Right now anyone could use your wand although it would not work as well for them but with wands such as these you will need to guarantee that no one else can use them."

"What do we have to do for that? And how long will it take?"

"The two of you are going to have to put a few charms on them personally as soon as possible. I will also need a sample of blood from each of you. I will then take your blood and inject it into the core of your wand. When you use your wand it will know its you through its connection through your blood. If the blood doesn't match, it won't work. Getting the blood into the wand without damaging it or causing a reaction with the core is the hard part. After that all that needs to be done is a few simple charms and then there yours. I'll be finished tomorrow most likely. They will be sent up to the castle, I'll have Albus give them to you."

"Question." Harry said as he stepped forward. "Since Voldemort used my blood to give himself a new body will he be able to use this new wand as well even with this new protection?" Harry asked worried that even with Ollivander's hard work for them it might not be enough. Ollivander smiled slightly at Harry's obvious concerns.

"No Mr. Potter, he will not. You see your wand will not only be reading your blood but also your magical signature and no ones magical signature is the same so you can put your mind at ease." For the next half hour Harry and Blasie cast charm after charm on their new wands and eventually gave about two ounces of blood that would become part of their wand. After they were finally finished Ollivander bid them farewell after promising the wands would be delivered to Hogwarts the next day. The moment they left the shop and entered the street Harry suddenly felt the strange feeling that had washed over him when they first entered Diagon Alley once again. Only this time it was much stronger and caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end as it washed over him and would not go away. On instinct he swiftly turned around to face Tonks and Blaise.

"We have to get out of here, now!" He said urgently as he looked around.

"Why, Harry what are you talking about?" Tonks asked in confusion and concern for her young friend.

"I don't know. But something is definitely wrong here. Lets go." He said in an even stronger voice as he led the other two back towards the Leaky Cauldron. Suddenly he felt a light stinging pain in his right shoulder. Looking down he was surprised to see what appeared to be a very small dart as he heard his two companions cry out in surprise. By the time he realized what had happed it was already to late and Harry, Blaise and Tonks were nowhere to be found on Diagon Alley.

MMM

"ALBUS!" Alister 'Mad Eye' Moody roar as he stomped into Dumbledore's office. The aforementioned Headmaster swiftly entered from his private study suspecting that something very bad had happened.

"What is wrong Alister?" He asked in a calm voice even though he had a very bad feeling about the cause of his old friend's current state of mind.

"Their gone Albus, that's what's wrong." He growled.

"Who's gone?" He asked even though he knew he didn't have to. Moody gave him an annoyed look for a moment.

"Tonks, Potter and Zabini that's who. I was standing across the street from them when all of a sudden they just up and vanish."

"Portkey maybe?"

"Not unless they used more than one, neither of them were touching each other or any one object. And we have yet to teach Potter and Zabini to apperate so that's out of the question."

"Could it have been portkey tags?" Albus asked as he tried to contain his worry.

"Its possible. With as crowded as that street was whoever fired them would have had to have been very close to be sure they got the right target. If this is the case than its obvious who snatched them and unless we are lucky and Snape can find something we won't be able to find them.

"Yes, I know." Dumbledore said wearily as he lowered himself into his chair.

MMM

"Oh, crap!" Harry groaned as he began to wake up. "Damn my head hurts." Suddenly he became all to aware of a nagging pain in his wrists and decided to find out what was wrong. Unfortunately he found that he could not move very well. Trying to shake himself out of his groggy state he looked around and found that he must be standing up.

'How in the hell is that possible. I should have collapsed by now.' Looking up to the ceiling he found out why. 'Oh that's nice.' He thought to himself with sarcasm as he looked up at the chains that were bound around his wrists that were holding him suspended about two feet off the ground. As his head began to clear he tried to figure out how he had ended up in this situation when suddenly it all came back to him. Looking around quickly he was both relieved and horrified to find Tonks and Blaise in the same situation. He was relieved to know they were still alive but also horrified that they were in the same situation as him. Over the next twenty minutes both Tonks and Blaise had woken up and Harry had to admit that Blaise was handling the situation very well all things considered.

It had been three hours since the girls had woken up and they had quickly run out of things to say since it was likely that there was someone listening in on them. They didn't want to give anything away. So they sat, or rather 'hung' in silence.

"God I'm bored." Harry sighed drawing the attention of both girls who looked at him incredulously. "What?"

"Bored? You're Bored? We are hanging up on the walls of some dungeon and you say your bored." Blaise nearly screeched.

"Yes I am bored. In case you haven't noticed there isn't exactly very many things to do at the moment." Harry snapped back before the room returned to silence. After nearly another hour of silence Harry started humming to himself while he pulled up on one of the chains binding his wrists and then the other so that he was swinging back and forth. Blaise was about to start yelling at him again when a loud creak was heard. The three captives all turned their heads towards the door as it began to open.

TBC: PLEASE REVIEW


	6. Time in Captivity

Reposted on 11/8/05

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Six: Time in Captivity**

Not long after Moody left his office Dumbledore sent for Professor McGonagall who had been off school grounds for the last two days. She now sat opposite him with a look of worry on her face as her old friend and employer tried to find a way to explain the situation. Finally he decided that being straightforward was the best course. Taking a deep breath he began.

"Minerva the reason I sent for you is because something unexpected has happened. Today Mr. Potter and Ms. Zabini were accompanied to Diagon Alley by Tonks to see Ollivander about their new wands. According to Alister all three simply vanished before his eyes. It appears that they somehow found out that they would be visiting this morning and had someone waiting for them." Her reaction was fairly close to what he had suspected. First her eyes grow wide in shock that he had allowed them to leave the school grounds with only Tonks as an escort then they grew horrified at the implications of their disappearance.

"Does Severus Know?" She asked as she tried to prevent the tears within her eyes from spilling out and down her cheeks.

"At the moment, I don't know. He left for a Death Eater meeting last night and has not yet reported in."

"Surely he should have returned by now or at least sent word." McGonagall nearly screamed as she abruptly stood and began pacing around the office. Albus looked on in sadness as his friend began to panic. He could not even begin to imagine how this kind of information would make him feel had their roles been reversed. He had never been in her position. He knew perfectly well that Snape's roll in this war could have been discovered by Voldemort and was being held for information. That would explain how the Death Eaters seemed to know that Harry and the others would be in Diagon Alley that morning. As much as he wanted to, he was at a loss at how to console his closest friend and that pained him deeply.

MMM

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A cold snide voice remarked as Lucius Malfoy enter through the door with his brat Draco following behind him with a smirk on his face. Both were wearing Death Eater robes but wore no masks. Harry's eyes widened in surprise for a moment at seeing the elder Malfoy out of prison until he remembered that the man pretty much had the Ministry, or rather Minister Fudge, in his back pocket.

"Fudge." Harry growled to himself in annoyance causing Lucius to grin maliciously.

"Indeed. You didn't honestly believe that I would remain behind bars, did you Potter? After all, politicians are bought and sold everyday. The one with the resources and funds gets reelected, and I have a lot of resources at my disposal for anyone willing to meet my demands. It's a wonderful system, wouldn't you agree?" He asked in a mocking voice. "Although I must admit that my Master was very upset at the setback caused by you and your infernal Gryffindor friends and punished us greatly. So until the Dark Lord can spare the time to come see you himself, we are going to take great pleasure in repaying you for that punishment. But first…" He broke as he turned back out the door and signaled someone else to come in. A moment later a Death Eater, this one wearing his mask, entered dragging an unconscious figure behind him with a black hood over his head.

"I thought that Ms. Zabini here would enjoy the company of her father for a while." Blaise first gasped in shock and then began to whimper softly as the Death Eater threw the motionless figure to the ground. Both Malfoys seemed to relish in Blaise's sobs and with a flick of Lucius' wand another set of chains appeared and the manacles secured around the man's wrists and he was lifted off the ground. Reaching out, Malfoy grabbed the hood and ripped it off the man's head to reveal the bruised and bleeding face of Severus Snape. To say that Harry and Tonks were shocked would have been an understatement. The possibility always existed that Snape would be discovered so that came as no great surprise, but to find out that he is Blaise's father was certainly a different story all together.

"Do not worry my dear, your blood traitor of a mother may join you soon."

"You don't look so strong and confidant now, do you Potter?" Draco sneered. "You're nothing but a weak half-blood that will soon be pleading for us to simply kill you."

"You really are a simple creature aren't you? You call me weak yet you are the one groveling on your knees to some pitiful excuse for a human being. Begging for forgiveness at every turn for HIS fuckups. No, you are the one that is weak. Hiding behind someone you believe to be stronger because you are too scared to let the world know how you truly feel and where you stand. That is why your precious father claimed to be under the Imperious curse last time Voldemort was defeated. Because he was to much of a coward to face what he had done."

"CRUCIO!" Draco screamed as he pointed his wand at Harry's chest. Immediately Harry felt as if his skin was being slowly pealed off and broken glass was running through his veins. Biting the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from screaming out he could distantly hear Lucius congratulating his son as Tonks and Blaise yelled for him to stop. After what felt like an eternity, but had actually been less than five minutes, Draco dropped the curse and smirked as Harry's body still lightly convulsed in pain. With a wave of his wand Harry was lowered closer to the ground to where his feet were barely touching it.

Feeling very big of himself, Draco began punching and kicking Harry in the ribs and in the face like a madman. Through the whole ordeal Harry, who was used to being hit by Dudley who was much stronger than Draco, couldn't help but think that Draco hit like a girl. Hitting like a girl or not it was doing some damage. Finally able to shake off some of the pain remaining from the Cruciatus curse Harry lifted his leg swiftly to kick his attacker in the jaw. As Draco reeled back in pain Lucius moved forward and slammed the head of his cane into the left side of Harry's head. Feeling his eye socket crack, he quickly passed out as Lucius led his bleeding son out of the cell as blood began running down the side of Harry's face.

MMM

Dumbledore looked out over the shocked and panicked faces of the Order after recounting the events of the day before. It had been over twenty four hours since their disappearance and it was obvious that they were not coming back on their own. That alone left little to no doubt that Voldemort was responsible for their capture. The fact that Professor Snape was missing as well did not help the situation any. Professor McGonagall had to be sedated and was resting comfortably in her quarters under the watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey. This confused a great many people. Everyone knew she cared about Harry more than she let on but no one thought it went to such extremes.

"We have to find them. We have to find them now." Molly Weasley screamed in a loud and frantic voice that left many covering their ears.

"And where do you propose we begin looking?" Moody grunted. "We have been unable to even locate the escaped Death Eaters. And their bound to have tucked Potter and the others away in a very secure area if they are not already dead."

"Don't even suggest such a thing." Remus all but yelled. "I have lost everyone I cared about to that monster, I'll be damned if I'm going to lose Harry as well."

"Please, everyone calm down. We will get nowhere if we lose our heads. Now, unfortunately due to Voldemort's paranoia most of his Death Eaters do not even know where he makes his base so the odds of us finding it are slim."

"Sorry to interrupt Headmaster but the Dark Lord will likely be holding them in a location far from his base." John Simmons spoke up. Simmons was the head of the Hit Wizards and one the most respected wizards in Britain. "Voldemort wants nothing more than to get his hands on Potter but he isn't going to expose himself to much to do it. As you said, he's paranoid, and will likely keep information on Potter from his own Death Eaters until he's absolutely sure of a victory."

"What would you suggest?" Arthur Weasley asked curiously.

"He'll probably keep them some place secluded and out of the way. Some place you would never suspect with only his most trusted Death Eaters guarding them. He is not going to take the risk that another one of his servants is a spy. They could be anywhere really, from a basement under a house in London to a small cottage out in the middle of the woods." He explained and drew some incredulous glares.

"This is not the time for jokes. Bad ones at that. They would surely be somewhere more secure then a cottage." Ron spoke up in annoyance.

"That was no joke Mr. Weasley. The Unspeakables and Hit Wizards use the same technique when holding and questioning suspected Death Eaters and others. After all, who's going to look beneath a nice quiet restaurant or shop for a dungeon?"

MMM

"Harry was right, this is boring." Tonks sighed several hours after waking up that day. Snape was still unconscious as was Harry. Both men looked as if they had been sent through a meat grinder. Harry's face was completely swelled up from the beating he had taken the day before and Snape didn't look much better.

"How can you be so calm?" Blaise asked as she looked at her father with tears running down her cheeks.

"Would it do us any good to panic?"

"I guess not." The young Slytherin replied as the two lapsed into silence for a while.

"So, Snape is your father?" Tonks asked, breaking the silence with a question she had been dying to ask. When Blaise nodded she continued. "Then why is it you have a different name?"

"Because my parents wanted to hide the fact that he had a family from the other Death Eaters. Voldemort would have surely used my mother and I against him if he ever suspected him of disloyalty. Even after he disappeared the first time my father as well as Dumbledore and a few others didn't believe he was really gone, so I kept the name Zabini. Besides my mother isn't exactly someone the Dark Lord would approve of." She finished with a grin.

"Who's your mother?" Tonks asked anxiously. Blaise turned and looked at her with a mischievous grin before answering.

"Professor McGonagall."

"Oh now that's just nasty." Came a moan from their left. Looking over they saw Harry waking up. As he lifted his head both women gasped in shock at what they saw. They both knew that he was beat up pretty bad but with an unobstructed view it made it much worse.

"My god Potter! Can you even see?" Blaise asked in shock, ignoring the apparent comment of her parent's relationship.

"A bit. My right eye is no good but I can see out of the left a little." He answered in a weak voice. "But if it is all the same I think I prefer the Cruciatus curse." He began slurring a bit at the end and by the time the last words left his lips he lapsed back into unconsciousness just as the cell door opened again. Tonks and Blasie stiffened considerably as four cloaked and masked men entered the room.

"Isn't this a special occasion? We have Potter, the traitor and two lovely young women as guests."

"And who the hell are you?" Tonks asked in a loud and annoyed manner that brought chuckles to the Death Eaters.

"Oh no my dear. I have heard to many stories of imbeciles such as Malfoy giving themselves away because they think they are untouchable." The apparent leader of the group said as they moved closer. "Enervate." (Don't know if I spelled that right.) He said as he pointed his wand at Snape. As the potions master's eyes shot opened the man stepped closer.

"I thought you might like to be awake to see this Snape. After all, parents love to see what their children have learned." He said in a malicious voice as he looked Blaise up and down. "But first. Crucio." Snape began to thrash about as the curse wracked his already beaten body as Blaise screamed at the Death Eaters with hate in her voice. The curse was only on him for mere moments and would have most definitely been held for much longer if it had not been for the disturbance on the other side of the room.

Harry was suddenly awakened by Blaise's screaming voice and cruel laughter of the Death Eaters. Raising his head and looking around with his one semi good eye he saw Professor Snape being held under the Cruciatus curse as his daughter watched on helplessly. Thinking of anyway he could stop it he came up with nothing until he noticed one of the other Death Eaters standing just a few feet away from him. Taking his chance he used what was left of his strength to pull himself up on the chains binding his wrists and lifted his legs as high as he could. Quickly he wrapped his legs around the Death Eater's neck and squeezed as hard as he could. The man in his grasp jumped around as he tried to get free, drawing the attention of the others in the room. Seeing three wands suddenly turn on him Harry put all of his weight on his legs until he felt the man's neck snap.

"CRUCIO." The remaining three Death Eaters cried as their comrade fell lifelessly to the ground at Harry's feet. Tonks, Blaise and even Snape looked on in horror as Harry was assaulted by three shots of the most powerful pain curse known to man. Despite all his efforts Harry was not able to keep himself from crying out loudly in pain as his body violently thrashed about. Though he would never admit it out loud Harry begged every deity that might be listening to just let him die. The pain was more than the human body was designed to endure. After nearly five minutes the Death Eaters lowered their wands as Harry passed out from the prolonged exposure.

With a growl the leader of the group cast a levitation charm on his dead underling and the three remaining Death Eaters left the cell, slamming the door behind them. Within the cell silenced reigned excepted for the ragged breathing of Harry Potter.

"Why did he do that?" Blaise asked quietly as she looked to the floor. With all four of them bound there was no chance of them being able to get free so why would he take a chance like that. It just didn't make any sense.

"He did it to draw attention back to himself, and away from the rest of us. Stupid Gryffindors." Snape replied though the normal loathing that was usually present in his voice when referring Harry was absent. In its place was what sounded almost like gratitude and respect. He knew perfectly well what the Death Eaters had in mind for his daughter and though he hated to admit it he would feel indebted to Harry for life for preventing it, even for a short while.

Over the next week the routine was pretty much the same. The Death Eaters would come in several times a day to 'play' with their 'guests' but get sidetracked from the others, especially Blaise and Tonks by something Harry did or said. The Death Eaters seemed to ignore Snape's attempts to distract them from the two women, after all, what better torture for a man then to witness the 'abuse' of his daughter. But Harry Potter was something different. With all the trouble he has caused for the Death Eaters and their Master he was a favorite target. Not even Snape could remember seeing anyone endure as much punishment as Potter had in the last week. For the increasingly brief periods he was awake Harry would refuse to explain why he was putting himself through such an ordeal and refuse to quit.

"You can't keep doing this Potter. Sooner or later it is going to kill you." Snape said seriously when Harry had been roused out of his sleep as the two girls remained so.

"One can only hope." Harry wheezed out quietly. This response caught Snape off guard though he couldn't imagine why he was surprised. After all any normal man would have been praying for death long before then.

"Potter," The older man began slowly almost reluctantly. "I want to thank you for what you have done. Especially for Blaise. I do not think I could live with what they would have done to her if you had not found some way to intervene."

"I will not let another suffer because of me. To many have already." He said before passing out again. The Death Eaters had routinely force fed Blood Replenishment potions and minor healing charms to prevent him from dieing but they did little to improve his condition. Daily nutrition charms prevented the prisoners from wasting away though it did not hold back the hunger pains from lack of food.

As he remained in silence, Snape thought about Harry's words deeply. James Potter, though Snape would never admit this out loud, was incredibly stubborn and very strong when it can to his enemies but he would not have lasted this long. If it had been James and not Harry in this cell he certainly would do all he could to prevent Tonks and Blaise from being touched but would he do the same for Snape? Probably not. If the Death Eaters were focused on Snape half the time they would both have some time to recuperate and be in some semblance of health to attempt an escape.

But Harry was different. He had no reason to trust Snape, in fact he had every reason to hate him, and yet here he was doing his level best help him. Potter obviously felt it was his fault that they were in this position, after all Voldemort was after him, Tonks and Blaise were just a bonus. But Snape felt responsible as well. After the Dark Lord had exposed him as a spy he had spent hours battering down his mental defenses until Snape was to weak to resist. That was how the Death Eaters knew where Potter would be. When he was brought into the same cell he was sure that even a dunderheaded Gryffindor could figure that out and still he was killing himself to spare his enemy any pain. 'Stupid Gryffindors.' He thought to himself as he drifted of to sleep.

MMM

It had been nearly two weeks now since the disappearance of their fellow Order members and everyone was quickly losing hope of finding them. Despite the absence of four of their members everyone had to continue with their assigned tasks. That meant training, researching, spying, teaching, everything. It would do them no good to sit around getting nothing accomplished. After McGonagall had a severe panic attack Dumbledore decided that it was best to tell the Order's inner circle of her relationship with Snape and Blasie. Learning that she was Snape's wife and Blaise's mother shocked everyone to the core. Ron reaction was by far the most extreme and entertaining. He almost seemed to have a nervous breakdown of his own and could be found wondering the halls of Hogwarts muttering to himself about how his head of house was 'consorting with the enemy' and other such things. He was quickly brought out of this state of mind when he saw McGonagall's face as Madam Pomfrey escorted her to Dumbledore's office one morning.

Her face showed a host of emotions. Depression, fear, anguish, and hopelessness were almost radiating off of her as she looked about blankly. This image of the woman he thought to be so strong and firm had shocked him many times more than learning of her marriage to 'the greasy git'. The thought of Snape immediately brought Harry to mind. Though he missed his friend and feared for his safety he could not help but think he might now have his chance to shine without being pushed back into the shadow of the boy he thought of as a brother.

Remus was taking the situation almost as bad as McGonagall. Where as the Transfiguration professor had become nearly catatonic, Remus had become a workaholic. He spent the vast majority of his time trying to track down the location that could be used to hold Harry and the others and checking out the sites himself as opposed to assigning others to check designated areas as was custom. He even broke into Malfoy Manor to investigate a rather weak and ridiculous tip that Harry was being held in the quarters reserved for the Malfoy's human servants where he was being forced to press the laundry. Needless to say Remus was lucky to get out before anyone recognized him.

Despite her best efforts and her position in Voldemort's inner circle Dumbledore's last remaining spy had been unable to find out anything about Harry. The Dark Lord was remaining tight lipped on the subject and since Harry's disappearance had not been made public by the Ministry she could not openly ask about it. It seemed that outside of Voldemort the only people who knew anything were the people he had assigned to guard him. The rest of the inner circle did not even know Potter was missing much less in their master's grasp.

As he sat down for lunch Albus Dumbledore looked on with sadness at the downcast and hopeless faces that occupied the great hall. Though he told others differently, he to was losing hope at recovering their friends. Despite the strength he knew each of them had he believed that if they were to return it would depend on the strength of Harry Potter. Not to take anything away from the others mind you, but Harry has a will that just couldn't be put down.

'Please Harry, bring them home.'

MMM

"**NO!"** A terrified voice shrieked in the dark recesses of Harry's mind as he slept. The voice sounded oddly familiar to him but he could not place it at the moment. It seemed like he was floating in a dark pitch black void where nothing and no one else existed. All he knew for sure was that he felt no more pain.

'Am I dead or something?' He asked himself silently as he welcomed the thought.. If this was death than it certainly seemed that he was in for a very boring afterlife. Suddenly he heard the same voice cry out again. This time there was a more frantic tone to it though he still could not place where he heard the voice before but he was sure that he had. Looking around him Harry began to get annoyed. If this was the afterlife then it was entirely over rated. If he was alive then where the hell was he.

"Where the hell am I?" He shouted out loud to anyone that could here him.

"You are inside of your own mind. The place that every thing exists and yet does not." A powerful voice spoke up from behind. Harry whirled around and came face to face with someone he had seen before. Or at least he had seen a portrait of him.

"Godric Gryffindor." Harry whispered to himself in awe.

"Indeed." The legendary Hogwarts founder replied with a smile as Harry stared at him stupidly.

"Err… um, why are you here sir?" He stuttered out after a few moments of silence.

"I am here to help you."

"Help me? How?"

"It's quite obvious really. You need to escape before Salazar's heir arrives and you do not have very much time. I'll be damned if I'm going to let an heir of mine die before he can serve his purpose. So I am going to unlock some of your magical talents so that they can be at your disposal now instead of having to spend months studying up on them."

"Um, ok. By why just some of them, why not all of them?"

"Because it is going to be a major strain on you as it is, I don't want to run the risk of you burning yourself out because you tried something your body was not prepared for. But that is neither here nor there, you must wake up now." Godric finished as he vanished.

"Wait," Harry called out as he looked around frantically for his ancestor. "How am I supposed to figure out how to use what ever you unlocked?" However Harry got no answer. Instead he felt himself coming around and the voice he had heard in his mind was getting clearer. Alongside it was a loud and very pissed off male voice and another female who was screaming as well. Suddenly Harry remembered where he was and who he was with and his eyes flew opened and his head shot up to see a disgraceful sight.

Snape was yelling obscenities struggling against his binds as he tried to reach the man that stood before his only daughter. Blaise's robes had been ripped open to reveal her bare chest as the Death Eater in front of her ran the tip of his wand over her nipples as he looked on in lust. Blaise was sobbing loudly as she closed her eyes tight.

"Our Master will be here soon so we do not have much longer to have our fun." He said coldly as he stepped even closer.

Tonks was in much the same situation as a Death Eater had his unmasked face buried in the knap of her neck as he fondled her breasts. Seeing this through his one good eye made Harry burn with a righteous fury. All the rage he had been sitting on for the last few years started bubbling to the surface once more as he saw the two women being violated. Without even thinking Harry let lose a scream of rage that instead came out as a roar. Looking up in shock, the Death Eaters who moments before were have their 'fun' watched in shocked silence as Harry Potter slowly started to change. The change was slow at first but quickly began to pick up speed. The first thing to change was his arms and legs as they grew shorter but larger with more muscle. As his arms changed his hands slipped through the manacles that were binding him and he fell to the floor.

Next to change was his body as it began to hunch over and a dark golden fur rapidly spread across the now massive expanse of his body as his face and head were the last to start changing. The change was much like a werewolf's and it was very intimidating to see his face begin to grow longer and wider as huge teeth grew into his stretching mouth. The entire process took less than a minute and in that time no one had moved or said a word. They just looked on in shock and horror. When the change was complete a massive lion stood on the spot Harry Potter once occupied and surveyed the Death Eaters. Before any could react the lion leapt forward and with swipes of his massive paws and bites with his massive teeth it was not long before all three were left laying in a bleeding pile. When it became obvious that the three men would be no further trouble the lion straightened himself up and slowly morphed back to Harry Potter.

Snape noticed through his shock that Potter was seemed to be swaying quite a bit on his feet and he couldn't blame him. He was not sure if he would have been able to stand much less pull that stunt off in that situation. After shaking his head for a moment to clear his mind Harry used one of the Death Eater's wands to mend the robes of Blasie and Tonks. Digging around in the pockets of the Death Eaters Harry was surprised to find his own wand. It seemed the Death Eater was keeping it as some kind of a trophy. After five minutes or so of trying he was able to release the chains on the two girls and Snape. The moment he was free Snape wrapped Blaise in a tight hug and looked as though he would never let go. Tonks did the same for Harry but he pulled himself away after a moment.

"We have to get going. There's no telling when Voldemort will get here or how many other Death Eaters are here." Harry said weakly as he slowly walked to the door of their cell. Looking both ways he noticed that there only seemed to be one cell. One way was a dead end while the other led to a set of stairs. Snape and Tonks picked up the wands of two of the fallen Death Eaters while Harry handed Blasie the wand of the third that he had originally used before finding his own. After casting a series of charms Snape turned to the others.

"They have an anti-portkey shield around the place for a quarter mile in every direction. We are going to have to get outside the shield and quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if someone else comes along to make sure we aren't getting to lonely." He said with sarcasm.

"Alright lets go." Harry said as he stepped out of the cell and turned left, heading towards the stairs. With Harry in the lead Snape fell back to the rear so that Tonks and Blasie were in between the two. When he reached the top of the stairs Harry placed his ear to the door in hopes of finding out if there were others present or not. Not hearing anything he motioned to the others to be silent as he slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. Looking around he was surprised to see what looked like a modest country home. It looked warm and inviting where as below was cold and foreboding. Waving the two girls ahead Harry waited at the top of the stairs for Snape to come up.

"Professor you take the lead, I can't see a damned thing right now." Harry said as he painfully tried to rub some of the blood out of his right eye. Snape merely nodded and passed him by. Like Harry the other three were surprised at their current surrounding. None more so than Tonks.

"My god." Tonks gasped quietly incase there was anybody else inside. Harry moved up next to her and asked what the problem was. "This is an Unspeakable safe house." She answered in shock at the implications of such a fact. After taking a quick look around the corners they determined there was no one in their general area though they could here voices further off in the house. Silently the four escapees exited through the kitchen door and swiftly made their way across the massive lawn at what proved to be a farm house.

A few minutes later the group made it to the edge of the wards and Snape went to work making a portkey that would take them safely to Hogsmeade. Without warning multiple curses began flying their way from the direction of the farmhouse. Looking back to where they had come from they saw at least ten men advancing on their position.

"Um, Snape you might want to hurry." Tonks said as she sent few curses their way.

"I'm working as fast as I can." He snapped back in irritation as Tonks, Blaise and Harry continued to trade curses with the Death Eaters. "Alright, I got it." Snape yelled out after another ten minutes. By this time the Death Eaters were all but on top of them and they could not move from their covered position if they tried.

"Get down and stay down." Harry ordered the others as he thought quickly and came up with a possibility. "Reducto." He shouted over and over again as he pointed his wand at several large stones that were between them and the Death Eaters. The resulting explosions sent chunks of stone flying through the air in all directions. The Death Eaters, who were not ready for such an action, were cut down as the shrapnel tore their bodies apart. "GO NOW." Harry yelled. At once Harry, Tonks and Blaise broke from their covered positions and made their way towards Snape. Tonks and Blaise made it with no problem but Harry, who had already suffered numerous injuries, was really beginning to feel it as the adrenaline began wearing off. He was becoming slow and clumsy. In other words, he was an easy target. While most of the Death Eaters had been killed by Harry's exploding rocks it appeared that at least one had made it.

As Harry slowly made his way to the others he did not see the Death Eater that had come out from the trees he had taken cover in. But he certainly felt the strong bludgeoning curse that hit him directly it the back of his leg and the resulting snap of the bones breaking. Crying out in pain, Harry hit the ground as his wand clattered to the ground beside him. Looking up he saw both Tonks and Blaise casting curses towards the man who had caught him off guard. Despite the pain he pulled himself to his feet and limped his way over to the others.

Upon his arrival everyone placed a finger on the stick Snape had used for a portkey and they were immediately whisked away. None of them thinking of the wand that had been left behind. When his feet slammed into solid ground once again it took all of Harry's will power and energy to keep from falling over as he usually does. Looking up he was relieved to see the wizarding community of Hogsmeade and the winding road that lead up to Hogwarts. After looking up the road to the ancient school of magic Harry turned to the people he had just spent two weeks in hell with.

"I feel terrible." He simply said as he looked each in the eye before he toppled over backwards in a dead faint.

TBC


	7. World in an Uproar

Reposted on 11/8/05

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr23**

**Chapter Seven: World in an Uproar **

**HARRY POTTER MASSACRES 12 UNSPEAKABLES**

Albus Dumbledore read the headline from today's edition of the Daily Prophet with anger and frustration. Already knowing what the article said he read on anyway.

**It was reported today by Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge that a safe house operated by the Unspeakables employed by the Department of Mysteries was attacked early Saturday afternoon and twelve Unspeakables were brutally murdered.**

**It was confirmed that while suspected Death Eater, Severus Snape, was being held for questioning their location came under attack by none other than Harry Potter. The sole survivor of the massacre was able to retell the tragic events of the day from his bed in Saint Mungos. According to the unidentified Unspeakable, he went down to the interrogation room to find three of his colleagues brutally murdered and the prisoner missing. Rousing his other comrades, they headed out in pursuit. They were shocked to learn that Harry Potter was involved but also young Auror Nymphadora Tonks and another Hogwarts student by the name of Blaise Zabini.**

**It was believed that they had the group cornered until Potter himself sent a wave of explosion curses at the Ministry's top law enforcers that cut down the brave men as they tried to seek justice for their fallen friends. After this devastating display the group of obvious Death Eaters vanished with a portkey that took them directly to Hogsmeade as the injured Potter was forced to leave his wand behind. It is quite clear that they planned to seek medical attention at Hogwarts for the injuries they sustained in the fighting and no doubt coming up with some fanciful story of how they received them. But they obviously did not expect any of their victims to survive to tell of what really happened.**

**According to our sources, Harry Potter has not yet awaken due to his injuries and Severus Snape is being held in a magically induced coma to help the healing process. It was decided by Headmaster Dumbledore and Minister Fudge that all four of the traitors responsible for this tragedy will be held in the Hogwarts infirmary under heavy guard until Potter and Snape awaken and are able to be moved.**

Dumbledore threw the paper back down on his desk in a fume as he ignored the rest of the article. 'Just ramblings about giving them the Kiss immediately no doubt.' He thought to himself angrily. Every morning and evening edition had been the same for the last three days. There seemed to be a war between the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler, who while not proclaiming Harry's innocence, was certainly leaning in that direction. The vast majority of the general public appeared to be siding with the Prophet.

After speaking with both Tonks and Blaise he had no doubt that they were speaking the truth but the plain and simple fact that remained was that if the Unspeakables that were holding them were Death Eaters, they were not marked. And there was nothing within the house that suggested any ties to the Dark Lord. In other words, Harry and the others were screwed.

Even though he had been reappointed to his position as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamont he could not change how things were done overnight. A dose of Veritaserum would prove their innocence but unfortunately only the prosecution can recommend its use and that certainly wouldn't be in their best interest since there was always a chance you were wrong no matter how solid your case is.

Even if evidence was found by the Ministry to exonerate them it would never be shown in court and likely be destroyed. The prosecutors employed by the Ministry are bound by magical oath to serve and protect the interest of the Ministry to the best of their ability. Even if they knew the defendant was innocent they would still work tirelessly to get a conviction because they are physically, mentally and magically unable to do anything less. As he wracked his brain for anything that may help, anyway he could discount some of the evidence nothing came to mind. Sitting in silence for several hours he came to the only conclusion available.

"DOBBY" He called out loud. Within seconds the little house elf appeared, bowing so low that the tips of his large ears were almost flat against the ground.

"How may Dobby help Professor Headmaster Dumbledore sir?" Dobby asked in his high squeaky voice.

"Dobby, have you ever heard of a house elf named Twinkle?" The Headmaster asked with a small smile. For the next twenty minutes Dumbledore spoke with Dobby about what he wanted him to do and who to go see. Dobby was only too happy to do as he asked and quickly left to get started. After a few moments to think about the consequences of his plan of action he withdrew several blank sheets of parchment and began writing furiously. By the time he was done he had filled nearly six pages and folded them and stuffed them into an envelope. Opening a drawer in his desk he withdrew two long and slim boxes and promptly shrunk them both to the size of match boxes and added them as well before doing the same with two wands that were sitting on his desk and sealing the envelope. With one last secretive smile to himself he stood and left his office in the direction of the hospital wing.

As he turned the final corner Dumbledore saw a large group of Aurors standing guard outside the hospital wing door. Their numbers seemed to grow each time he came down here. When the Aurors noticed his approach they formed up together to block his entrance.

"I'm sorry sir but Minister Fudge has ordered that no one is to enter this room with the exception of the mediwitch. Including you." The lead Auror announced pompously manner that clearly said that he was anything but sorry but Albus was not impressed.

"Young man, this school is not nor has ever been under the jurisdiction of the Ministry. Minister Fudge overstepped his bounds last year and I can guarantee that it will not happen again. You are not here because Cornelius ordered you here. You are here because I allow it. Now stand aside." He finished coldly as he surveyed the man before him. He clearly thought that doing Fudge's bidding gave him the authority to lord over others but he would be damned if he was going to allow some Ministry sycophant to order him about and disrespect him in HIS school. The other Aurors quickly got out of his way but the leader was more sedate about it, moving slowly just to annoy Dumbledore, which isn't a very wise thing most of the time. When the last of the Aurors were clear of the door, Albus pushed them open and strolled casually inside.

The hospital wing looked petty much exactly the same as it usually did with the exception that it usually did not have Aurors guarding over each individual patient. As each of the four accused lay in bed two Aurors were positioned on either side of them with their wands already in hand just in case. Tonks and Blaise were both awake and though Blaise looked extremely nervous Tonks remained calm and composed. Professor McGonagall was sitting in rather comfortable looking chair in between the beds of her husband and daughter and although they were both being accused of conspiracy and aiding a murderer, in other words Harry Potter, she looked much better than she had the last two weeks. Just knowing her family was alive and safe, for the moment, did her wonders. Despite what the papers said both Snape and Harry had been in and out of consciousness though Snape was able to actually wake up to a certain degree. Harry on the other hand would merely open his good eye and look around as if in a daze before drifting off again.

Severus Snape however was still unconscious due to severe exhaustion and continued exposure to dark magic. Despite his injuries which Madam Pomfrey was able to heal quite easily he was suffering from a magical overload from when Voldemort was battering down his mental defenses and he was unable to find the time needed to recuperate. He should wake up at any time now that he has gotten the care he needed and was able to get some decent rest.

Harry Potter though was different. Though he to had his magical reserves nearly depleted his physical injuries were far worse. The Hogwarts matron was able to close all of his open wounds but the damage had been done. Not counting all of the cuts and bruises, he had suffered through five broken ribs, one of which punctured his right lung, a compound fracture to one of his legs and most severe of the lot was the damage done to his right eye when Lucius Malfoy cracked his eye socket with the snake head of his cane. If he had gotten immediate medical attention they may have been able to repair the damage but as it was he would never again have any use for it. When Tonks and Blaise first told him of Harry's action during their captivity he honestly did not know what to feel more of. Horror at what the young man had to endure or pride that he had shown such strength and compassion towards others, even one of his least favorite people, namely Professor Snape.

Knowing that he didn't have much time, Dumbledore made his way over to the bed Tonks occupied and sat down at the chair beside it. For whatever reason the two Aurors guarding her moved a few paces away to give them some semblance of privacy. The two sat in silence for a few moments before Dumbledore cast a weak wandless privacy charm around them before speaking.

"I must make this quick Nymphadora." He began urgently. "Any moment an old, friend, is going to be popping in to take you and the others to a safe location. When asked do not hesitate just go and take Ms. Zabini with you. She may be reluctant to leave with her mother in the condition she is but you must get out. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir." She nodded sadly. She knew perfectly well that if they were put on trial they had no chance whatsoever of winning. Dumbledore nodded slowly with a smile before standing up. He reached out his hand to her and when she took it she noticed that there was something in his hand. It felt like parchment but she could not see anything. Suddenly she felt like smacking herself in the head. 'Of course I couldn't see it, he charmed it.' He thought to herself stupidly.

"There are notes for each of you in there as well as your wands." He whispered lowly. After smiling in a secretive manner Dumbledore turned and left the hospital wing. Not five minutes later several loud pops were heard all around the infirmary.

Looking up in surprise, Tonks was shocked to see nine very determined looking house elves. All nine elves were wearing cloths instead of the customary pillowcase looking rag that you usually found on their kind. Each wore comfortable and casual looking robes that you would expect to find on a small child. Their outfit consisted of brown trousers, a pure white short sleeved tunic and a tan long sleeved over robe. Each one exuded a confidence you didn't usual find in a house elf even those who work for kind masters.

"What do you think you are doing here?" One of the Aurors yelled at the elves. Each elf turned towards the man slowly as if annoyed before one of them answered.

"We are here to retrieve our Master!" The little elf stated in a clear voice as she gestured towards the bed occupied by Harry Potter. "Dumbledore Headmaster, great wizard that he is, can no longer be trusted with our Lord's safety." A little surprised by her bluntness the Aurors hesitated for a moment before drawing their wands.

"Your MASTER," One of the Aurors spat. "Is going no where. He will be put on trial and then given the Dementor's Kiss for murder. So you and your little friends can just crawl back into whatever hole you came out of." This was obviously the wrong thing to say. All nine house elves raised their arms as one and in a quick sudden motion pushed them sharply forward. Each Auror, though trying their hardest to resist, were thrown back against the back wall where they were unable to move.

"Master Harry Potter's friends are welcome to join him as well." The 'head elf' said looking between Tonks and Blaise. Tonks was quick to shake off her shock and bounded out of her bed and quickly made her way over to Blaise.

"Come on Blaise, we have to go." She whispered urgently to the young Slytherin. But she shook her head stubbornly.

"No, I'm not leaving my mother like this." She declared in a low voice so the Aurors could not hear her.

"No Blaise, you must go. If you remain, you will be found guilty. If you go we will have more time to find the evidence we need." McGonagall spoke up for the first time as she gripped her daughter's hand. "Go, please. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. This way I will know you are safe at least." She finished with tears in her eyes. Blaise nodded slowly before standing up and moving closer to the house elves.

The elves began whispering furiously to each other and soon half of them disappeared while one went to levitate Snape's unconscious body over to them as two others prepared Harry for the quick trip. Almost as quick as they had disappeared the other house elves returned with everyone's belongings trailing behind them.

"Are you ready to go?" Tonks and Blaise merely nodded and they were suddenly whisked away to some unknown destination.

XXX

Shortly after the incident in the hospital wing Professor Dumbledore was sitting alone in his office when a sharp loud knock echoed through the room.

"Come in." He called out knowing perfectly well who it was. The door was flung open and his suspicions were confirmed when a very pissed off Cornelius Fudge stormed into the room with Percy Weasley hot on his heals.

"I demand to know what happened here. I was assured that there was no possible way for them to escape." He yelled with spit dripping from his mouth.

"If you remember correctly, it was your Aurors that made that claim, I gave no such guarantees." Dumbledore replied calmly.

"They say that house elves are the ones that perpetrated this escape, everyone of the house elves here at Hogwarts will be taken in for questioning and they don't…" Fudge was prevented from going any further when Dumbledore cut him off with anger in his voice.

"You will do no such thing. The elves in this school are duty bound to Hogwarts, not the Ministry. If you lay your hands on one of them I will have you bounced from office immediately. And with your many blunders over the last few years it would take me little effort." He nearly shouted in a cold voice. As the waves of power rippled through the room both Fudge and Percy went pale and they had no doubt that he would make good on his threat. Swallowing deeply, Fudge composed himself and continued in a more civilized manner.

"Then what would you suggest?"

"Unfortunately if the Aurors heard correctly then we will not be able to find them until they come out of hiding themselves." He answered in a weary voice while on the inside he was laughing.

"And why is that?" Percy asked pompously. 'Hasn't changed a bit.' The headmaster thought to himself with sadness.

"Because apparently the house elves claimed that Harry was their master. If this is indeed true then they have surely taken the four of them to the home of James and Lily Potter."

"But that manor was destroyed." Fudge exclaimed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, the ancestral home of the Potter's was indeed destroyed but James and Lily did not live there. They thought it was too large for their needs. Their actual home they had built to suit their needs better. But when they discovered that Voldemort was after them they decided that Potter Manor was not the best choice for defensive purposes so I placed it under the Fedelius charm to protect it until they could move back in." He explained.

"Well, what are you waiting for? We should check it out."

"We can't, as I said, it's under the Fedelius charm."

"But you just said you were the secret keeper." Percy said in confusion.

"No I didn't. I said I cast the spell."

"Well then who is the secret keeper?" Fudge nearly screamed in frustration.

"Twinkle, the Potter's head house elf. So you can see the chances of finding it are slim too none. She will not betray her master even if you could catch her outside of the house. And I stress, IF you could catch her. Twinkle is a very powerful elf as are those that serve under her. And unlike most house elves she, as those who encountered her in the hospital wing could tell you, has no problem using their magic against wizards if she believe it is in her master's best interest."

XXX

"Hello again Harry." He heard as he once again was in the same pitch black void as before. Whirling around Harry came face to face with Godric Gryffindor yet again.

"Err… Hello." He replied stupidly causing Gryffindor to chuckle. After all what do you say to a legendary wizard that you are seeing in your dreams?

"Now that we have a little bit of time and there is less urgency I wanted to congratulate you." The Hogwarts founder said with a smile, confusing Harry. What had he done to deserve a congratulations from someone such as Gryffindor?

"For what sir?" He asked.

"You may look like your father but when it comes to personality you certainly take more after your mother." He said with a deep booming laugh.

"You know my parents?" Harry asked with shocked wide eyes.

"Not personally, no. I have not yet been able to find them in the realm of the dead, it is after all a very big place. I am naturally a curious person, though there are some that would call me nosy, so I will occasionally look into the minds of those still in the living world. Besides, I like to get to know my descendants as much as I can. Although I must say some of them can be very irritating. But I have gotten off track. Yes I wanted to congratulate you on your show of bravery and selflessness while you and your friends were captured. There are very few people in this world that would go so far to help another."

"Well like I told Snape, I'm not going to let another suffer because of me." Harry snorted. "I didn't do what I did out of bravery, I did it because it was my fault they were there and they didn't deserve to suffer that way."

"Yes you certainly got a healthy dose of Almathea's genes as well." Godric muttered to himself.

"Who?"

"Almathea. She was my wife. Like you, she blamed herself for every bad thing that seemed too happened to us and to those around us. You see, the first conflict between me and Salazar came because he thought he should have her. Because of this she believed that all of his atrocities were somehow her fault. What you need to do is look at your situation from another angle." He suggested.

"And what angle would that be?" Harry asked with sarcasm that Godric seemed to brush off.

"Ok, let's say that Voldemort hadn't attacked your family that Halloween night."

"I can live with that."

"Can you really? If he had not then he would never have attacked you and the killing curse would never have rebounded."

"But that didn't kill him. It just took his body." Harry argued as he waved his arms around frantically.

"No it didn't but he was still stopped. No one, not even your headmaster could stand against his power. Everyday more and more people were dying and more and more were joining him. It was only a matter of time before he achieved his goal. However you changed that. Now, for over fourteen years Voldemort was left powerless and there were no Death Eater attacks or mysterious disappearances to speak of. Because of what happened it is true that Voldemort would be after you and others may get in the way but you have to understand that most of these people probably wouldn't have survived much longer if you hadn't been attacked. Voldemort WOULD have reached his goal.

You spend a lot of time blaming yourself for things you have no control over. Since entering the magical world all you have wanted was to be normal. Unfortunately for many of my descendants that was never fully possible. But if you ever want to have any semblance of a normal life you need to drop that baggage you're carrying and place the blame where it belongs, on Voldemort's shoulders not yours. You may be the one that has to finish the Slytherin line forever but that does not mean that the weight of the world is yours alone to bear. There are many others that have their parts to play in this conflict as well and if they were to all think as you do then nothing would get done. And we both know what that would lead to. What you must do is take charge of your life and do what you think needs to be done. You can not simply take a back seat in this conflict and hope it resolves itself. The only thing that will help you to move on with your life is to take action now so that you can live the rest of your life in peace. Wow, look at the time." He suddenly exclaimed as he looked at his non existing watch. "Sorry Harry but I really must dash." He said with no further explanation as he quickly vanished.

As Harry sat and thought about what his ancestor had been talking about a loud crash reached his ears. "DAMN IT TONKS." When he shot up to see where the sound had come from he was surprised to find himself laying in a large comfortable four poster bed that he was pretty sure was not in his room at Hogwarts. Looking around the room he grew even more confused to see that this was clearly the master bedroom for some obviously expensive house. Slowly sitting up he winced in pain slightly as his muscles cried out in protest of the movement but he was not going to be deterred. Checking to make sure he was wearing cloths he was relieved to find a t-shirt and pair of shorts covering his body. He would hate to go digging around in some unknown house looking for cloths.

When he swung his legs over the side of the bed he was a little shocked to see a long thin scar running down the length of his right thigh. Thinking hard he tried to remember what the hell could have happened to give him that scar. He remembered his time with the Death Eaters well enough but he could not remembering them doing anything to his legs. Then it hit. The bludgeoning curse that hit him hard in the back of his leg. The force must have pushed the bone through the skin. 'Funny, I don't remember it hurting THAT bad. After all I could still walk, err, limp anyway.' He thought to himself as he tried to stand up. As he pulled himself to his feet all his blood seemed to rush to his head and he suddenly became dizzy and felt as though he were about to vomit. Luckily the feeling passed quickly enough but his body was still protesting any form of movement.

'Why the hell can't I see right?' As he looked around on the bedside table for his glasses he caught a brief glimpse of his reflection in the long mirror that sat atop the massive dresser on the opposite wall. Feeling as though something were wrong, he slowly made his way over to have a quick look what he found shocked him beyond belief.

"I LOOK LIKE MOODY!" He shouted out loud. He was exaggerating quite a bit though there were plenty of similarities. Just on the outside of his right eye he now had a starburst like scar that moved out toward his temple by an inch and a half while one strand moved down over his cheekbone and down to his jaw. However the other side was worse. He gasped as he removed the strand of black satin material that was tied back around his head and covered his left eye. All around the eye were little scars that crisscrossed each other in a spider web like pattern as the eye itself sat in its socket lifelessly. While it had not lost its emerald green color it certainly was much more dull then his right. Hearing a door slam open behind him, Harry spun around on his heal and reached for his wand before he realized it was not there. However he deemed that having his wand at that particular moment was not necessary.

"Are you alright?" Tonks asked as she and Blaise walked into the room.

"Yeah. Just a little surprised that I could pass for Moody's son now." Harry replied with a short chuckle that surprised both women.

"You're not upset or anything?" Tonks asked uncertainly, thinking that maybe everything that had happened had gone to Harry's head and he was ready to snap.

"I've never been very narcissistic so the scars don't bother me all that much but the loss of my eye could cause serious problems in the future." Harry said after thinking it over for a few moments. If he was going to face Voldemort then his impaired vision was most definitely cause for concern. Any handicap he had would certainly be exploited. "In fact the only thing I really liked about myself was my eyes and I still have one of them so why cry about it. After all, I did bring it on myself." He added after thinking of kicking Draco in the jaw which brought the retaliatory strike from Lucius that shattered his eye socket.

"Ok, if you're sure you're alright."

"Yes I'm sure. Oh before you go," He said as he turn back to the two women who were quietly leaving the room. "First, where are my glasses and also, where the hell are we?" He asked as they turned back towards him.

"Oh, sorry," Tonks began as she moved over towards the bed. "I thought it would be best if they were put in the night table." She explained as she pulled them out of the drawer.

"Now why the hell didn't I think of that?" Harry muttered to himself as he accepted his glasses and put them on.

"As to where we are," Blaise started with a wide grin. "We're at your house." Harry could only blink stupidly at this statement. He couldn't decide what he was most shocked about, Blaise's belief that this was his house or the fact that she was grinning like an idiot.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard her. Apparently your parents had this house built just after you were born. Now, there are cloths in the closet so get dressed, lunch should be ready soon." Tonks said before she stated moving towards the door and tripped over the edge of the rug and stumbled out the door as she tried to regain her balance. Blaise followed after her and Harry was once again left alone to think over everything that had happened. He stood in shock for several minutes before the fact that both girls were gone registered in his head. When he shook his head clear he looked around the room for the first time now that he had glasses.

It was a very nice room in a homey sort of way. It was roughly half again the size of his dorm room back at Hogwarts. The walls were painted with a nice royal blue that matched well with the slate tile floor. The massive four poster bed looked to be made out of mahogany and was crafted with elaborate designs carved into the head and foot boards and was pushed against the wall only about three feet from the door with a night stand taking up the extra space. On the wall facing the beds footboard was the long wooden dresser that Harry had used to look at his 'souvenirs' he had received courtesy of the Death Eaters.

The opposite side of the bed from the door was obviously used for relaxation and had a couch and a couple of armchairs that were positioned around a fair sized fireplace. However Harry didn't notice this. His eye was transfixed on one thing in particular. On the mantelpiece above the fireplace was a row of pictures that he had never seen before. As he stepped closer many of the images were burned into his memory forever. One of his parents laughing and holding each other and another of his father and Sirius, even one with all of the Marauders though it appeared that someone burned the image of Peter out of it. But one picture stood out above all the rest.

In the center of all the others was a picture that was obviously taken in a hospital. James Potter holding his wife tightly as they both smiled down at the small bundle with a mop of unruly black hair that Lily held in her arms. Both looked extremely happy and their eyes shined with pride at the son they had brought into the world. Carved into the bottom of the frame were the words 'Harry James Potter, July 31 1981, 6:52 AM. As he stood there and stared at the picture Harry could not help the tears that began to form in his eyes as he thought of how things could have been if it hadn't have been for Voldemort. With a shaky hand he reached up and took the picture down from its resting place and sat down heavily into one of the nearby chairs and just stared at it as unchecked tears ran down his cheek.

How long he sat there with that picture he could never tell you but he could tell you that he would have sat there for much longer had it not been for the hand that found itself resting on his shoulder. Jerking his head up to look over his shoulder Harry was surprised to see the downcast and understanding face of Nymphadora Tonks. He quickly wiped the tears off of his cheek before standing up and putting the picture back on the mantle.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to lose track of time. So what are we having for lunch?" Harry asked quickly trying to change the subject to anything other than his own personal problems. This made Tonks grin a little despite the awkwardness of the situation.

"Actually its dinner time." She informed him. "But if you're not feeling up to it I'll have a little something sent up for you."

"No that's alright. I want to get up and move around." He responded quickly as he stood up. It was only then that he noticed he was still in nothing more than a pair of boxers and a t-shirt.

"I'll meet you downstairs." Tonks said as his cheeks turned a little pink in embarrassment. Nodding his thanks Harry walked slowly over to the closet to see about something to wear. Finding a pair of blue jeans and a nice black button down shirt Harry got dressed and made his way out of the room. As he moved through the house he didn't pay attention at all to any of his surroundings. His mind was still focused on the picture he had found of the day he was born.

"Merlin's beard Potter!" A cool voice exclaimed, pulling Harry out of his thoughts. Looking up he saw he was standing in the doorway leading into the small kitchen dinning room. Sitting at the table in front of him were Tonks, Blaise and Professor Snape who was looking at him in shock. "You look like shit." He continued as he surveyed his least favorite student.

"You don't exactly look like a basket of roses yourself." Harry snapped back as sat down and looked at the cuts and bruises that were faded but still visible on the man's face and neck. "So, how long have we been here and why aren't we at Hogwarts?" He asked Tonks after several minutes of silence. He was a little surprised, not to mention worried when Snape seemed to swell with anger and Blaise's usually calm exterior faded away to be replaced with unmatched fury. "Something I said?"

"Harry, as it turns out, the place we were being held was an Unspeakable safe house. All of those men that were killed when we escaped were unmarked Death Eaters and Unspeakables." Over the next fifteen minutes Tonks and Blaise filled Harry in on everything that had happened since they escaped. "We just got here two days ago. Snape woke up last night but we were expecting you to stay out for a few more days at least." Harry sat with a dumbfounded look on his face for some time. Normally Snape would have told him to snap out of it but he didn't have much room to talk, he had responded the exact same way.

"So, we are all wanted for murder now?"

"No, me and Blaise are wanted for conspiracy, assault on Ministry personnel and kidnapping a ministry detainee. Snape is wanted for conspiracy, assault, and resisting arrest. And you scored the most points. They've got you for conspiracy, assault, kidnapping a ministry detainee, destruction of Ministry property, resisting arrest and twelve counts of murder of Ministry personnel. Now as you can see the deck is certainly stacked against us and with the way the legal system is arranged we are as good as 'kissed' if the Ministry catches us." After thinking everything over Harry could not help the small smile that was tugging at the corner of his lips which left the others confused.

"May I ask what you find so amusing about this situation?" Snape asked angrily.

"Hold on, I'll explain in a minute. I think we can use this situation to our advantage. Tonks, where is this Twinkle you told me about?" No sooner had the words left his mouth then a quiet pop was heard and a house elf appeared at Harry's side.

"Master Harry Potter called Twinkle?" She asked as she bowed deeply.

"Wow, you heard me?" Harry asked with dumbfounded expression on his face.

"We are always listening for our master? So what may I do for you master?" She asked proudly.

"Ok, well first can you call me Harry instead of master?" He asked in an almost pleading voice. Twinkle looked almost horrified at the very thought of addressing her master in such an informal fashion but the seeing the look on Harry's face told her that he was uncomfortable with such titles.

"Alright mast…Harry."

"Thank you." Harry said with a sigh of relief. He had fully expected her to refuse. "Now, I was wondering if you could see about bring Professor Dumbledore here for a little chat?"

"Of course Harry." She said happily before vanishing with a pop.

"I didn't mean she had to go right this minute." He said as he looked at all of the confused faces staring at him.

XXX

Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk with both an amused and annoyed look on his face. This look was hard for anyone to pull off but this was Dumbledore we're talking about here. He sat listening to Amelia Bones, head of Magical law Enforcement, rattle on about how Fudge was an idiot and how Harry Potter and Nymphadora Tonks could never commit such acts of violence. Since she didn't know the other two that well she could not speak for them but with Harry and Tonks she was certain. Because of all the chaos the situation had caused at the Ministry she had been unable to get to Hogwarts to see Dumbledore sooner but now that she had she was going to tell him exactly what was on her mind. Unfortunately for Dumbledore he had been unable to calm her enough to explain the situation fully so he had no choice but to wait it out.

"Now that jackass has all of my Aurors hunting for Potter when they should be out hunting for Death Eaters. We are going to have every young Auror out there trying to make a name for himself by taking on The-Boy-Who-Lived. Every resource the Ministry has is being put into this manhunt and it is absolutely ridiculous." Coming up with a solution, Albus was quick to cut her off before she started up again.

"Harry did kill those Unspeakables Amelia." He said loudly. That one statement had its desired effects as Madam Bones choked on her own words as they were leaving her throat. She stared at Dumbledore with wide eyes for a moment before she found her voice again.

"What?" She nearly screamed. She was a woman that did not like to be contradicted and if Albus thought that Potter was capable of such evil then he was no smarter than Fudge.

"You heard me. Just under three weeks ago Harry, Ms. Zabini and Ms. Tonks were captured by Death Eaters while they were shopping in Diagon Alley." Madam Bones listened in shocked silence as Dumbledore retold the events as told to him by both Blaise and Tonks. Hearing what Harry had done to protect the two women left her admiring him even more but this still did not explain the charges against them.

"As it turns out they were being held in the basement of an Unspeakable safe house and the Death Eaters holding them were unmarked and working within the ranks of the Unspeakables. During their escape Harry did indeed kill twelve of them. As I understand it he actually killed one other not long after they were first taken. But it is unknown if he was an Unspeakable as well or if he was just some other Death Eater like the Malfoys."

"Twelve Unspeakables were Death Eaters?" She gasped in shock.

"Actually it would be at least thirteen. You are forgetting the one that survived and told his tall tale to the Ministry to begin with. So far I have been unable to speak to the man. It seems that Cornelius wants to keep me away from him. But as you know, I have my own ways of learning if someone is lying to me or not and I could detect nothing but honesty from Misses Zabini and Tonks." Madam Bones appeared to be about to ask another question but was cut off when a small house elf entered with a pop. She merely looked around at her surrounding before walking up to Professor Dumbledore.

"My master would like to speak with you sir."

"I will speak with you again later Amelia." And with another pop they were both gone leaving a very confused Madam Bones behind.

XXX

"Are you going to tell us what the hell is going on or not?" Snape shouted after Twinkle vanished.

"Its simple really. What is the Death Eaters most powerful weapon?" Harry asked as he stood up to walk around the room.

"Fear."

"Exactly Blaise. People are afraid of them. Now, we have that going for use as well. Only now both sides will fear us." He explained with a grin.

"Ok and what does that have to do with anything?" Tonks asked as she and Blaise seemed confused but Snape looked as though comprehension had dawned.

"Although those men were Death Eaters, they were still fully trained Unspeakables. And Potter here killed them pretty easily. Though the Death Eaters and the Ministry think it started differently depending on who's story you believe it still ended the same way. With twelve dead Unspeakables. The Death Eaters will think twice before going against Potter in the future and that same fear will be useful against our enemies in the Ministry." Snape explained.

"Exactly. Despite popular opinion, the situation with the Death Eaters is easy when compared to the trouble in the Ministry. Fudge will certainly use this situation to divert attention from his failing administration. He has taken so many heavy blows over the last few years that even the most thick headed wizard has to have noticed."

/POP/

Looking up Harry saw the relieved look Dumbledore was sending him before he look the other three over.

"So Harry, I understand you wanted to see me about something!" He stated kindly as he took a seat.

"Yes sir I did. Before anything else is said though I want to make it clear that if you had us sent here because you thought it was a good place to tuck us away until everything is resolved it is not going to work. I will not trade in one prison for another, no matter how warm and inviting it may be. So instead I have a proposal for you." He started in a firm voice. By the look on Dumbledore's face it was clear that he had hoped Harry would cooperate and stay out of site but he now knew that that would never happen.

"And what does this proposal entail?"

"From what Blaise told me while we were reading through Slytherin's journals, when I first went to check out the Chamber of Secrets the night your brother brought me to Hogwarts you explained some of the things the Order would now be doing. You explained that some 'questionable', hence illegal, tactics would be used to gather information and cut off the Death Eaters chain of command."

"Yes Harry but what does that have to do with the situation at hand?" Dumbledore asked in confusion. It was also clear from their faces that the others did not know where Harry was going with this line of conversation.

"What I am proposing is simple. Everyone of these 'questionable' tactics will not be done by the Order, but by us." Harry said indicating the other three as well. "Before now the Order has primarily sought out information about upcoming Death Eater attacks and tried to prevent them or if need be, assist the Aurors in fighting them off. This is all well and good, but if you start going further Fudge will have no problem having you charged for vigilantism. But, truthfully, what can he do to us if he catches us. Have the Dementor kiss us twice. You pick the targets and we will get what you need. So, we will take care of all of the Order's 'dirty business while you use the information we have collected to go do your daily good deed." Dumbledore sat shock still for several moments with his eyes wide in disbelief, a look that was mirrored by the other three in the room. Finally after regaining his composure he was about to try to shot the idea down when he looked into Harry's eye. In the deep green that was hardened by pain was a strong determination that was so like his mother's. Taking a deep breath he sighed, knowing that he would not be able to talk him out of it.

"And if I say no?" Albus asked quietly.

"Then I will do it anyway and you will feel bad for me going against your wishes." Harry said so simply and with a straight face that Dumbledore could not help but chuckle a little.

"Is there anyone from the Order, aside from the four of you, that you would like to have within your team?" He asked finally.

"Only two. Mundungus Fletcher and Bill Weasley."

"Why those two?" Tonks asked in confusion a Harry's choices.

"If I am going to face Voldemort again I'm going to need all the help with my dueling that I can get, especially with this bum eye. Bill is an accomplished curse breaker so he knows his stuff. And if he agrees to come Albus have Mundungus gather together all of the street thugs and lowlifes he can and have them questioned extensively under Veritaserum. If we are going to be breaking into someone's house to dig through their belongings or, um, 'detain' them, I want to do it with people that have a bit of experience in that field." Harry explained thoughtfully.

"What of Remus or even the Weasley twins?"

"No, unfortunately with me 'on the run', the Ministry will be keeping a close eye on Remus and the Weasleys. But since Bill's work is primarily outside of the country it shouldn't be a problem."

"I will get on that right away. Any funds you may need you will be able to easily withdraw from your family account at Gringotts. The ministry can, and already has, confiscated your personal vault that had your trust fund. But according to goblin law they are forbidden to touch a family vault." Dumbledore explained.

"I have a family vault?"

"Yes you do. I did not tell you about it sooner because as a minor you are unable to take full possession of it until you are seventeen so you are unable to even enter it. But since your personal vault is now in Ministry hands you are able to have limited access to it. When you get the time write a letter to the manager of Gringotts, his name is Bullgluk. He will be able to arrange a way for you to access your funds."

For the next hour and a half the four sat around the table and talked of everything imaginable. From Voldemort and his Death Eaters to the Chudley Cannons chances at winning the Quiditch cup that year. Harry was greatly surprised to see Snape get involved in a normal conversation like a regular human being. After most topics were exhausted Dumbledore headed back to Hogwarts and Harry, who began to grow weary again, went back up to his room to get some sleep. He spent nearly two more hours just staring at the picture of him and his parents on the day he was born for another two hours before finally drifting of to sleep.

TBC


	8. Friends, Old and New

Reposted on 11/8/05

**AN: I would like to say that Harry will not receive all his power suddenly like he does in many other stories, including some of my own. What power and knowledge he does gain will be achieved through hard work and practice.**

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr23**

**Chapter Eight: Friends, Old and New**

Immediately after leaving Harry and the others Professor Dumbledore called an emergency meeting of the Order leadership. There had not been a full meeting since Harry and the others had escaped from the Death Eaters and then from Hogwarts. The feelings among the Order were mixed regarding their innocence or guilt. Of those that chose to believe the Ministry's side of the story the most surprising was Ron and Hermione who firmly believed Harry to be guilty. While this in itself was not entirely unexpected the way it came about shocked even those that shared their opinion. Most would have thought that it would be Ron that would first take a stance against his best friend and then press his views on to Hermione. But instead it was the other way around.

Dumbledore looked on a little sadly as everyone entered his office had gathered into two obvious groups as they eyed each other with distrust. He sighed heavily as it became painfully obvious that recent events divided the Order in such a way.

On one side of the room stood Professor McGonagall, Remus, 'Mad eye' Moody, Mundungus Fletcher, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill Weasley, Neville, Luna and Ginny.

On the other side stood Ron, Hermione, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Professor Flitwick, Amos Diggory and several others. After looking around sadly for a moment Dumbledore got to the point.

"As you all know, four of our number disappeared some time ago and then resurfaced here just a few days ago. Unfortunately they are now gone once again and the chances of finding them are slim. Now I know that some of you have very strong feelings about this one way or the other but all I ask is that you hear me out while I try to explain their part of the story before you ask any questions." When everyone nodded in agreement, though some reluctantly, he proceeded to tell everyone present what had been told to him by Tonks and Blaise. As he talked he could tell that most of those who believed Harry and the others to be guilty had no intension of believing a word of it while there were a few that now had their doubts.

"This is ridiculous! Harry is strong for his age granted but there is no way that he could have defeated a dozen highly trained Unspeakables unless he was using the dark arts." Hermione nearly yelled. She was obvious upset that Albus Dumbledore of all people would entertain the idea that someone so evil could be innocent.

"If you recall Granger," McGonagall began with distaste, "Even the surviving Unspeakable admitted that Potter used no such magic. In fact after the examination of their wands it was determined that the only ones using the dark arts were the Unspeakables who were firing a large number of killing curses. While they do have authorization to use such a curse when deemed necessary it seems a bit odd that they would all be so intent on killing all four of them. Unless, of course, they didn't want them to survive for whatever reason." Hermione just turned her nose up at her 'former' favorite professor and turned her back as if her opinion in such a matter was beneath her notice.

"Then of course you have to take their injuries into account. If this event went on as the Ministry claims how would you explain the scaring Harry now has on his face?" Moody growled. Everyone turned to look at him in confusion, even Dumbledore. Apparently they had no idea what he was talking about. "Don't you people teach anything anymore?" He snapped at the professors in annoyance. "With healing the way it is today even an inept witch or wizard can heal such wounds without leaving much, if any, scaring. Madam Pomfrey, however, is not inept and she wasn't able to fix Potter up completely leaving him severely scared. That leaves only one possibility. He received those wounds long before the Unspeakables were 'attacked'. If he truly was a Death Eater he would have had plenty of opportunity to fix himself up and he sure as hell wouldn't have gone running off to take on so many with those injuries so he must have been in a position where he had no opportunity to get healed and no choice but to face them and that brings us to the only conclusion possible."

"And that would be?" Ron asked with a sneer.

"The Ministry is full of shit, just like all of you." He stated firmly as he looked over all those that stood against Harry and the others. Immediately the room erupted in shouts and arguments as each person tried to make their own position known. Dumbledore sighed and placed his head in his hands for a moment before rubbing his eyes and looking back up. With a wave of his wand the room was quickly silenced as he placed a silencing charm on all those present. It was several moments before some realized that they could no longer speak.

"I think now would be a good time to end this meeting as we are getting no where." He said sadly. "It would be best if everyone went back to their duties or training for the time being." He finished as he waved his wand again and released the charm and everyone started making their way out of the office. "Alister, Bill and Mundungus, please remain behind." The three aforementioned wizards stepped up to the Headmaster's desk with confused and curious looks in their eyes. When Professor McGonagall exited and closed the door behind her Albus stood and began casting several complicated privacy charms around the room that only made the three men even more interested and even a little worried about what he had to say. When he had finished he sat back down in his chair and motioned his associates to do the same.

"The reason I have asked the three of you to remain is a matter of great importance and even greater delicacy. As you know the Order is scheduled to begin certain operations that could have serious and long lasting political and legal repercussions if they were to be discovered by certain elements." When all three nodded in understanding he continued. "An opportunity has recently arisen to exploit this operation so that it may reach a far greater potential than we had originally anticipated while keeping prying eyes away from other sensitive assents the Order has at its disposal."

"What exactly are you proposing?" Moody asked with no small amount of suspicion.

"An associate of mine has agreed to take on the responsibility of directing and carrying out any actions that would have brought the Aurors to our doorstep had we carried them out ourselves."

"And what does this have to do with us?" Bill asked with interest while Mundungus was hanging on every word.

"We would like the two of you to join him." He explained while looking directly at Bill and Mundungus. "This 'associate' needs certain assets to be able to carry out this task. First he needs manpower. He would like you, Mundungus, to bring together about a dozen men that have the ability and experience to carry out such tasks. They must have the skills needed to go undetected and be able to handle themselves in a fight. And of course they must be trustworthy and be able to keep their mouths shut." He finished bluntly before turning to Bill.

"He will also need someone to help extensively train his men in dueling and curse breaking. As a master curse breaker and former dueling champion you are quite qualified for such a task. After such training is complete it will be your choice whether you stay or if you come back here. Any questions so far?"

"Who will we be working for exactly?" Bill asked carefully after a few moments of silence. He did not like the idea of committing himself to something without knowing everything about it and the way Dumbledore was talking it was clear that he would not get all the information until he had agreed.

"While he is technically a member of the Order, my associate will have complete control over his group and the actions they take. Though I will inform him of possible targets. While connected to this group you will be placed under a secrecy spell similar to the one used by the Order so that you may not pass on any information to anyone, including me, without his permission. I don't like the idea all that much but for certain reasons I must be kept in the dark and as such I shall have no authority whatsoever over either of you or anyone else brought in on this assignment. Now I apologize but that is all of the information I can give you at this time. If you wish you may have some time to think over this offer before deciding."

"Is this associate of yours trustworthy?" Moody spoke up suddenly, wondering why he was included in this meeting when he wasn't being asked to go as well.

"I assure you Alister that there are very few that I trust more."

"That settles it. I'll do it!" Mundungus said as he stood up.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to have some time to think it over?" Albus asked the man seriously. "After all, this is not something to rush into."

"What is there to think about? We were going to do the same things anyway. The only thing that's changed is instead of taking orders from you I'll be taking orders from someone you obviously trust a great deal."

"If we are to do this it is obvious that we will not be doing things out of Hogwarts so how are you going to explain our absence to the rest of the Order?" Bill asked logically.

"They will be told that you went back to Egypt to gather supporters among the Goblins and the other curse breakers. Because of your employment with Gringotts your absence will not be questioned by the Ministry or by Voldemort's supporters. And I will tell the others that Mundungus is using his peculiar talents to gather information from the least reputable of the magical population."

"Ok, I'll go." Bill said after thinking it over for several minutes.

"Thank you. I would suggest that you start gathering your men and I am not to know who you have chosen." Dumbledore told Mundungus as he pulled a vial from his robes. "They are all to be tested under Veritaserum to make sure they will not betray you. You will all be tested again after you arrive. Tomorrow evening bring your men to the Hogshead pub in Hogsmeade and wait upstairs in room 11. Use the Veritaserum there, there will be someone watching to make sure everyone is loyal before they will take you to your destination. And I must remind you that this requires the utmost secrecy. Do not give them too much information before you test them. That will be all." Both men nodded sharply before exiting the office to prepare.

"Alright now why the hell am I here?" Moody growled in annoyance.

"I was just wondering Alister," Dumbledore began with a sly grin. "Do you by any chance still have your first artificial eye?"

"Of course I do. You don't think I would simply throw something like that away do you? Now what the hell does that… have…" He trailed off as all the gears in his mind seemed to snap into place. Throwing a sharp look at Dumbledore he realized who his 'associate' must be. "Well I'll be." He muttered to himself as a grin spread across his own face.

**XXX**

When Harry woke again he felt much better than he had the day before. His body was not nearly as sore and his remaining wounds were nearly healed. It was still dark outside and he didn't know if he had simply woken up before dawn or slept all through the night and all day as well but he really didn't care. Standing up from his bed he glanced around the room. He was a bit overwhelmed to be honest. For the longest time he had believed that everything his parents owned or valued had been destroyed when Voldemort attacked. Now he was standing in the house that they lived their lives in, for however brief a time. He had heard people say that possessions are meaningless, it's the memories of your loved ones that really matters. That belief is what is meaningless to an orphan who had never known 'loved ones'. To Harry the things that surrounded him in that house felt like some connection to his parents that no one, not even Sirius or Remus could give him.

After dressing in a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Harry stood before the mirror to comb his hair but froze. Looking in the mirror is one good eye gazed over the scars that now ran across his face. Stepping closer he ripped off the piece of black fabric that covered his useless right eye and flung it to the floor as both hands moved across his face like he was tracing every inch of his scars. Soon his touches became more and more frantic as his eye looked upon himself wildly.

After all he and the others had been through over the last three weeks it appeared that, despite his calm and determined attitude the night before, the severity of the situation had just now caught up with him. Thinking of how he had received those scars made him think of his disadvantages he would now have when facing Death Eaters again and ultimately Voldemort. Tom Riddle is not likely to take it easy on Harry because of his impaired vision. To Harry at least, it seemed that every time he started to catch up with his nemesis to a point where he could POSSIBLY do something constructive, the world seemed to throw him another curve. Half blind seemed to be an insurmountable odd when facing a man as powerful as Voldemort and it pissed him off.

As unnoticed tears ran down his cheek Harry raised his fist and slammed it repeatedly into the mirror in front him as he growled in fury. Surprisingly the sound of the shattering glass seemed to momentarily calm him some until the pain flared up his arm. Suddenly his anger returned to even greater heights as he glared down at the blood running over his right arm. With renewed vigor Harry set about literally destroying the mirror and the dresser it was mounted on.

"POTTER! What are you doing?" Harry whirled around and saw Snape standing in his doorway with Blaise and Tonks right behind him. By the looks of them they had run up the stairs and to his room when they heard Harry's 'redecoration'.

"What the hell does it look like?" Harry snapped back in anger but Snape wasn't impressed.

"It looks like your throwing a temper tantrum just like the spoiled brat you are."

"That's right Snape, I'm a spoiled little prince that has had everything handed to me on a silver platter all my life. Tell me Snape, did you know that I had no idea that magic was real until after my eleventh birthday. That my piece of shit relatives spent ten years telling me that my parents died in a car crash and that they were nothing but good for nothing drunks and freeloaders. That everyday in that sorry excuse for a home I was nothing more than slave labor. You didn't know that, did you? You didn't know because you refuse to listen to anything that contradicts your own little fantasy of what you believe me to be. You despise me simply because I'm James Potter's son and you want to justify that by creating some bullshit image of what you WANT me to be. If you can't grow up and see things as they are instead of what you want them to be then get the fuck out of this house and you can take your chances with the Ministry."

"How dare you speak to me in such a manner." Snape bellowed as he swelled up in anger.

"We are not at Hogwarts anymore Snape, you are not my Professor. You have no authority over me whatsoever so I suggest you keep your mouth in check because I have no problem throwing you out of this house and hanging you out to dry." Harry snarled back, his anger over the loss of his eye temporarily forgotten. Snape merely glared at Harry in fury before turning around and stomping off.

"Wow," Harry turned swiftly towards the new voice and was surprised to see Blaise and Tonks looking at him in surprise and even a little awe. "I've never seen anyone talk that way to him before, except my mother from time to time." Blaise said with wide eyes.

"Your mother?" Harry asked in confusion before he suddenly remembered that Snape and McGonagall were her parents. "Oh I think I'm going to be sick." He muttered to himself as he sat back down on his bed.

"Oh no, no time to be sick now. You have guests to greet." Tonks announced in a cheery voice as she pulled Harry back to his feet.

"What, what guests?" He asked in confusion. Both Tonks and Blaise rolled their eyes.

"Bill, Mundungus and the people they managed to scrape together."

"Oh goody." Harry moaned. "Do they know that we're here yet?" He asked suddenly.

"No, twinkle brought them directly to the entrance hall and had each tested there. She's making sure none of them wander off before you get there."

"Well we better go then. Where's my wand? I have no intention of getting cursed because someone gets jumpy."

"Oh, I forgot." Tonks said as she began digging through her pockets. "Dumbledore picked your new up from Ollivander's while we were still being held by the Death Eaters. He also sent this over with Fawkes for you. He said to open it when you were alone." She said as she handed him his wand and a bulky envelope.

"Alright thanks. Now will you two lovely ladies be so kind as to give me some privacy as I get dressed?" When both women had left Harry quickly got dressed and after admiring his new wand for a few moments he placed it in a wrist holster he had found in the closet. On his way out the door he glanced back and saw the envelope Dumbledore had sent. Deciding that he might as well find out what it was he turned back and picked it up off the bed. Ripping it open a small box fell out as he pulled out a single piece of parchment. When he picked it up and opened it he was surprised to find what looked like a glass eye. He was a bit disturbed by how lifelike it looked. Looking closer he noticed that it was made with the same green color his eyes carried. Suddenly a thought struck his mind and he quickly unfolded the parchment and began to read.

_Harry_

_I am writing this to inform you of some added precautions that I have decided on. Firstly, to reduce chances of messages being intercepted no member of your team will be reporting directly to me and vice versa. Every evening Fawkes will come by for a visit and if you have any messages he will bring them to me. If you absolutely must get in contact with me and cannot wait send Twinkle to fetch me. And as per your instructions no other Order member is aware of your plans with the exception of Alister. Since you are no doubt reeling over the loss of your eye he has been kind enough to donate a replacement. We have changed the color to match your unique shape of green so that it looks natural. It is not as advanced as the one he is currently using but will be very useful. While you will only have the field of vision you would normally have with two eyes it responds to thoughts and will allow you to see through many types of objects when needed. I trust you will not abuse this ability. It will no doubt take some time to get used to but I am sure you will manage. For security reasons you may want to keep this a secret for as long as possible. The spells needed are on the back of this parchment. They are relatively easy so you should have no problem with them even with the temperamental nature of your new wand. Good luck and happy hunting._

_Albus_

Harry read over the letter several times and looked between it and the eye in excitement. He quickly read over the spells on the back of the page before sitting down on his bed and picking up a piece of the broken mirror.

"Good of you to join us." Snape said with a sneer as Harry descended the stairs to join the others. Tonks and Blaise braced themselves for another verbal explosion but were surprised when Harry merely smiled widely. Though he had a pounding headache he felt much better than he did moments before.

"Let's go." He said simply in a friendly tone as he walked by. The other three merely stood staring after the boy in shock before shaking it off and following after him.

XXX

"How long are we supposed to just stand around doing nothing Dung?" A gruff looking man asked irritably as he paced around the entrance hall where they had all been left to wait nearly half an hour ago.

"I don't know, but I'm seriously thinking about leaving already." Another replied. Mundungus was about to respond when the doors opened and the most unlikely people entered the room.

Harry Potter strolled into the room with the three other suspected Death Eaters right behind him. Though they believed Harry was innocent both Mundungus and Bill drew their wands with everyone else. No sense taking chances after all. Without warning their wands were ripped from their hands. Looking around quickly to see where they had gone they were all surprised to see the fourteen missing wands clutched in the hands of the house elf that hand brought them here.

"Now that wont get us off to a good start now would it?" Harry asked sarcastically while he threw Twinkle a grateful look. "Now this is how it is going to be. We are going to sit down and talk like civilized people. If we are going to work together we first have to clear the air of any misinformation you may have gotten recently so follow me." Everyone looked between each other with a bit of uncertainty until Bill followed after them with Dung on his heels. When everyone was gathered together in the formal dining room that had been set aside for meetings Harry began.

"Before we proceed we must all get our facts straight so…" Harry held out his hand and Twinkle handed him the same vial of Veritaserum that had been used to test those present. "Ask me your questions." He said as he put three drops, the maximum safe dosage, on his tongue. For the next thirty minutes they all took turns asking Harry different questions about his supposed turn to the dark and of his capture. There were several times that Snape or the others had to prevent them from asking about things that would be embarrassing to others such as what the Death Eaters were doing to Tonks and Blaise before Harry got loose. In the end they were all satisfied that while he did kill those men he was no Death Eater. After administering the antiserum Snape took his seat once again.

"Now that the trivialities are out of the way lets get down to business…"

"Wait just a moment. Since you asked Dung here to get us all together you obviously know what kind of men we are. I mean while it is true that none of us would serve who-know-who what's preventing any one of us from running to the Ministry with information about you in exchange for a clear record?" A man by the name of John Addams asked seriously.

"Simple really. Security spells!" Harry answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And besides that, when our names are eventually cleared Fudge will be finished. After everyone believed me to ally myself with the man who killed my parents they will be singing a different tune later on. I will become nearly untouchable as long as I don't do anything to distasteful. When that happens I will be in a far better position to help you then ANY Minister ever could." As much as he hated it Snape could do nothing but agree with Harry on this point.

"And just how do you know you will be able to prove your innocence?"

"I could prove that right now and our names would be cleared tomorrow morning but for the time being everyone believing that we are bloodthirsty psychopaths actually works in our favor." He explained and everyone could see the logic in both sides fearing them for the time being. Over the next few hours Harry detailed the kind of operations they would be conducting. Though they were all surprised that Harry Potter of all people would be planning such crimes they all agreed that to be rid of Voldemort forever they needed to take out his powerbase. And that was his followers, a task the Ministry has been unable to accomplish since they seemed to refuse to take the steps necessary to do so. It was decided that after a week training together they would make their first move. They would raid Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley to 'confiscate' many dark arts texts and equipment that would then be used to plant evidence in the homes and on suspected Death Eaters.

"Harry there is something you should know." Bill began in an uneasy voice. "While there are those that strongly believe that you are all innocent, we seem to be in the minority, even among the Order members." Harry sighed heavily as he realized where Bill was going with this.

"Ron and Hermione?" He asked quietly. When Bill and Dung nodded in confirmation he continued. "Let me guess. Ron strongly believes I'm guilty and he pressured Hermione into accepting his views."

"Um… Actually it was the other way around." Harry could not help the shocked look that came over his face when he heard this. Since they had been friends Ron was always the one to jump to conclusions while Hermione always looked at things logically, not taking things at face value. Apparently things had changed.

"I must say that that is surprising. Oh well," He said quietly as he lowered his head. "With them believing me guilty it will only confirm it in the eyes of the general public. With everyone believing us to be mass murderers most people will stay away from us if we are recognized outside of these walls." Looking around the dining room while everyone was in their own thoughts Harry noticed a large grandfather clock sitting against the opposite wall. He was rather surprised to see that it was nearly one thirty in the morning. Standing up he drew everyone's attention back to himself before he began.

"It's been a long night for all of us so I suggest that we all turn in. Twinkle here will show you to your rooms." Twinkle nodded and began to lead the men out of the room and up the stairs when Harry stopped them as a thought struck his mind. "Just one moment please. I have one more thing to mention. As you now know this house was built by my parents. Unfortunately I was unaware that it even existed until yesterday and as such I have been unable to see much of it. So I'm sure you can imagine the sentimental value it holds to me. Now I know that for some, if not all of you, it is your instinct to see what price you can fetch for something that may be worth a great deal, but I warn you now. If things start disappearing from this house, people will start disappearing. Do I make myself clear?" He finished in a cold and determined voice that left room for no opposition. Many of the men before him suddenly went pale at the implications behind his words and the look in his eyes told them that he would have no problem making good on his promise. They all readily agreed and quickly mounted the stairs to head off to bed.

"Don't you think that was a bit harsh?" Tonks asked when everyone else was gone.

"No, I don't think it was." He said simply before heading to bed himself. Tonks watched him go for a moment before shrugging to herself and going to her room.

TBC


	9. Preparations

**Sorry for the wait but you know how it goes**

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr23**

**Chapter Nine: Preparations**

It seemed that the moment that Harry's head hit the pillow that night he was immediately sleeping soundly. That is until he was suddenly swept away and he found himself in that same damned empty black void. Harry dropped his head in annoyance and let out a deep sigh. This was really getting irritating. After a few quick moments he raised his head again and looked around for his ancestor, he was no where in sight. Having nothing better to do he simply sat down and waited for the man to come.

As he sat there he began thinking about the past few days. Now that he had time to reflect even he was surprised with his actions in regard to Voldemort. Whether it be his proposal to Dumbledore or the escape from the Death Eaters. He was both relieved and disturbed by his lack of shame for killing those Unspeakables but he reasoned that it was either them or him and his friends, though he certainly didn't count Snape as a friend. This line of thought eventually led to the escape itself. Do to all that had been thrown his way since he regained consciousness it was thrown to the back of his mind.

'How the hell did I transform?' He asked to himself in confusion. Granted he wasn't complaining, it allowed him to escape and the feeling and raw power that came with being a lion was almost intoxicating. Thinking back he figured that the animagus transformation was one of the magical 'talents' that Gryffindor said he was going to unlock. But how had he transformed to begin with? 'Can I still do it?'

"Yes and no." A powerful voice spoke up from behind him. Harry nearly shot up off the floor and whirled around to see the amused face of Godric Gryffindor. Harry merely glared at his dead ancestor as he tried to slow his breathing.

"What the hell are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?" He snapped at the man with his hand still clutching his chest.

"What would you have me do, tap you on the shoulder before I speak up?"

"Great, a smart ass." Harry mumbled to himself.

"Of course. Us Gryffindor's are notorious for our sarcasm. Why do you think we have always been targets of dark wizards? Everyone of them seems to be a walking cliché and we simply don't know how to keep our mouths shut. But what can they expect when they give us such good material." Gryffindor explained as if he were merely explaining some important and undeniable fact of life.

"Ok." Harry responded slowly before something clicked in his mind. Gryffindor had known what he was thinking when he first arrived. "How did you know what I was thinking?" He asked suspiciously.

"We are currently within your mind Harry. Once you are inside the rest is easy as long as you know what you are looking for." He explained. "But lets get back to your questions. You wanted to know how you had transformed and if you could do it again. As I told you, I unlocked a few of your abilities, the animagus transformation was one of them. Normally a person unlocks this ability through long meditation and complicated charms and potions. We just skipped that step. When you woke and saw your friends being violated it brought your more primal instincts to the forefront of your mind. You thought of nothing but the need to protect them. Through your anger and the need to protect your instincts took over and did what was necessary to accomplish your goals.

As for being able to do it again, the answer is simple. No. At least not yet. If you were put in a similar situation you could pull it off again but it would once again be triggered by your instincts. To achieve a controlled transformation you are going to have practice the transfiguration aspect of the art and study up on the anatomy of the lion until you know it as well as your own. So to my way of thinking you have two options. You can either spend your time researching and practicing this on your own or you can ask your transfiguration professor to assist you which would allow you to finish in a fraction of the time."

"WHAT? Are you mad? I can't bring Professor McGonagall here." Harry nearly shouted. If McGonagall were to gain knowledge of what they were doing, or rather what they would be doing, she could be put in danger. Not just from Voldemort but from the Ministry as well. But, finishing the transformation as soon as possible was a definite advantage. Thinking it over for a few moments he decided to discuss it with Blaise and Snape. They were after all her daughter and husband respectively. Harry gave a slight shudder as he thought about that. He could never get used to hearing about those two being together.

"I'll have to talk it over with a couple people before I decide anything concerning that." Godric nodded and seemed to be pleased that Harry apparently wanted their permission before approaching his teacher. "Now you said you unlocked more than one ability?" Harry half asked and half stated after a moment of silence.

"Oh, yes. The only other thing I unlocked was your natural Occlumency shields. Much like Salazar passing on Parseltongue to his descendants my family passed on natural Occlumency but when Tom Riddle's curse failed to kill you, you received his inherited ability to speak with serpents and the Occlumency was locked in a sense. Although anyone can be trained to shield their mind a natural occluman's shields are far stronger and are almost indestructible."

"Then how are you able to enter my mind if you already unlocked it?"

"That is a valid question my boy and the answer is simple. When I was alive I was one of the most powerful wizards in the world and in death my power has only increased. Besides which I'm family so I can find a way around it." This answer left Harry wide eyed and stuttering.

"Does, does that mean. Um, I mean..." Harry continued like this for several moments with both hope and fear before Gryffindor pieced together what he was asking.

"No, I am afraid that if I could find your father he would not be able to contact you. Though he carried a great deal of power he did not have enough to pass through the realm of the dead and still have enough to make it through your shields. In fact as you grow older and gain in power soon not even I will be able to reach you. Now Harry, I originally came to see you so that I could help you in your quest to finish off Salazar's line and we will begin tomorrow night. While you are with me I will teach you dueling and combat magic as well as hand to hand fighting. Since this is in fact the dream world you will need to practice what I have taught you while you are awake to master these skills but you will certainly master them quicker than what most would call normal. While here you will probably find these skills easy but you must realize that this is because you are not in the real world so do not get discouraged. It will take some time but I'm sure you will master them soon enough." He paused for a moment before looking directly at Harry with a look in his eyes that made Harry nervous.

"I also believe that it would be prudent for you to begin training in the art of Legillimency. Even with only a working knowledge of the art you will be able to tell whether someone is lying to you or not. With more proficient practice you will be able to seek out what information you need from your targets. I'm sure Professor Snape will be delighted to instruct you." He finished with a large grin as Harry dropped his head and groaned.

"But since you seem to be planning to rob Borgin and Burkes at the end of the week we will simply begin with physical conditioning. Your spell knowledge is astounding for a young man of your age but your physical condition and more importantly your endurance leaves much to be desired." At the mention of Borgin and Burkes Harry's head snapped up and he was about to demand how he had known about that when Godric simply tapped his temple and grinned.

"Yes well perhaps your right, flying on a broom doesn't exactly give you a very strenuous workout. But could you not use the word 'rob'. It makes it sound so ugly."

"Well that is what you are going to do isn't it? Your going there to steal some items, that is called a robbery, hence the term 'rob'." Godric explained as if he were speaking to an infant.

"No, what we are going to 'confiscate' are illegal items and therefore cannot be classed as marketable goods or private property. We are merely doing our civic duty to take them out of circulation and perhaps use them for the betterment of all mankind." Harry said with a straight face as Godric eyed him with annoyance.

"Now whose being a smart ass." He grumbled to himself before he began lecturing Harry on the importance of speed and agility in a duel.

XXX

Tonks shot up out of bed and began looking around wildly as she reached for her wand on her bedside table. After a few moments she came to the realization that she was alone. As she tried to calm her breathing she pulled her legs up and hugged her knees to her chest as she softly wept. Her entire body was shivering as a cool breeze blew across the room and a thin sheet of sweat coated her entire body leaving her night cloths clinging to her skin. After she got her breathing under control she looked around once more and realized it was only one thirty in the morning. Growling to herself she picked up the clock on the bedside table and hurled it across the room. She had not had a single night of undisturbed sleep since they escaped the Death Eaters.

Being an Auror they train you to endure nearly every hardship and resist many forms of torture and interrogation techniques. However being abused in other manners is something that was never covered. No matter how many times she bathed she could not help but feel dirty. Her only consolation was that Harry had prevented the Death Eaters from going any farther in their 'activities'. She simply could not handle the thought of what it would have been like if Harry had not been able to stop it as soon as he did. Pulling herself away from such thoughts she swung her legs of her bed and stood up. With a quick wave of her wand she cast a simple cleaning charm to remove the sweat from her body and made her way to the door. As she walked out into the hall she quietly closed the door behind her and made her way to the same destination as the previous few nights.

Walking up the stairs to the third floor she walked down the hall and thankfully didn't trip over anything on her way. When she reached her destination she slowly opened the door and crept inside, taking extra care not to revert to her more clumsy nature. Looking around the room that was lit only by the pale glow of the moon she almost instantly felt a calming presence. She slowly made her way over to the massive bed on the far wall and upon reaching it carefully laid down on the left hand side. Almost as soon as her head touched the pillow Tonks drifted off to a peaceful sleep, fully intending to be awake and back in her own room before Harry woke up in the morning.

XXX

"Hermione, do you think that maybe Moody and the others may be right? About Harry I mean." Ron asked a bit apprehensively as they sat up late that night reviewing what they had been taught that day during training. Since the whole fiasco with Harry, Snape and the others the other three students staying at Hogwarts seemed to be giving them the cold shoulder. Well, not Ginny anyway, she was flat out avoiding them like the plague.

"Ron, honestly. It is quite clear that they are guilty, all the evidence points to it." Hermione replied with a sigh.

"But Moody had a pretty good point concerning Harry's injuries..." Whatever he was planning on saying next was cut off as Hermione interrupted.

"Ron, just for the sake of argument, lets say that they're innocent. For that to be true you would have to have at least thirteen Death Eaters in the ranks of the Unspeakables when there has never been even one. Also, according to Dumbledore, Tonks and Zabini admit that Harry killed those men and in a very brutal and bloody way. Even in the Department of Mysteries he showed no where near that level of aggression and that was only a month ago. The only thing that could cause a change that sever is if he had gone dark. Now I do not believe that he has joined Voldemort but it is clear that he is now just as bad. My only hope is that Voldemort and Harry will concentrate on each other in some sort of power struggle and weaken each other and give us time to rebuild the Order because we certainly don't need enemies coming at us from several different sides." Hermione finished as she packed up her books and headed towards her dorm room not giving Ron time to reply.

As she entered her room Hermione closed the door and leaned against the wall. After dropping her bag she rubbed her face in aggravation. In truth she too was having doubts about Harry's guilt but she sure wasn't going to say it out loud. After making her opinion very clear at the beginning she wasn't going to change it with no evidence to back it up. As long as there was the slightest doubt regarding his innocence she would remain firm. After a moments thought she changed into her night cloths and climbed into bed. Her last thought before drifting off to sleep was that the evidence was to overwhelming to be false and that she would be proven right.

XXX

When Harry woke the next morning he felt the best he had felt in a very long time. He closed his eyes tighter and seemed to burrow himself deeper into his bed in an attempt to ward off the morning. He was warm, he was comfortable and there was absolutely no reason he should get up anytime soon. After laying there for almost half an hour he came to the conclusion that he would not be able to get back to sleep so he decided that he might as well get up and do something productive. Sitting up he glanced out the window and saw that it was just shortly before dawn and he wondered why the hell he would wake up at that god forsaken time of day. Shrugging it off he began to move towards the edge of the bed when his eyes met a VERY unexpected sight. Nymphadora Tonks was sound asleep right next to him. All thought stopped as he simply stared at the young Auror. It was several minutes before he could shake off his shock enough to try to figure out what she was doing in his bed.

His first thought nearly sent him into a panic but he quickly discarded the idea as ludicrous. After all he was pretty sure he would remember that. For a brief moment he looked around to make sure that he was in fact in his room. After confirming his whereabouts he, for the life of him, could think of no possible reason for Tonks to be there. Deciding to simply ask her after she woke he carefully rolled to the other side of the bed as not to wake her. However if finding Tonks shocked him the sight on the other side nearly sent him into cardiac arrest.

'Snape is going to kill me.' He thought frantically, for on his other side slept none other than Blaise Zabini. More scared now than shocked Harry slid his way down to the end of the bed to avoid having to climb over either women and quickly grabbed some clothes and literally ran from the room. The sound of the door closing didn't seem to affect Blaise but Tonks shot up immediately and looked around to see where the noise came from. Suddenly she seem to realize where she was and her gaze darted to the spot beside her where Harry was sleeping. When she found Harry missing she almost had a panic attack as she tried to find out how she was going to explain this to him. She knew she would be a bit uncomfortable speaking of the reasons to him but she didn't want him to think she was some kind of pervert, preying on a younger man. However these thoughts were driven from her mind when her eyes registered a slight movement on the other side of the bed. Her eyes went wide when she saw the younger woman lying there but she could not help but feel a bit pleased. At least she would not have to confront Harry alone. However this was definitely the first night that Blaise had ventured into Harry's room. Wondering what she should do Tonks simply decided that waking Blaise would be a good idea. At first the younger girl looked confused about her surroundings but quickly that confusion turned to embarrassment and even a little fear.

"Oh my god!" Blaise moaned as she put her head in her hands. "I won't be able to look him in the eye again." Tonks was a bit surprised to hear the normally stoic Slytherin sound almost desperate.

"If it makes you feel any better I in the same boat." Tonks said sheepishly.

"Uh?" She asked in confusion. "What did you do?"

"I was sleeping on the other side of the bed. Apparently Harry woke up and found himself between the two of us." At this point Tonks' cheeks were turning pink at the thought of what Harry must think of them.

"What were you doing here?" Blaise asked though she felt she already knew the answer. Tonks' face took on a pained expression but she answered nonetheless as she sat down in one of the armchairs and motioned Blaise to join her.

"I just didn't feel safe alone but when I'm around Harry I feel protected, like he wouldn't let anything happen to me. It seems rather childish but since Harry freed us I almost feel like a small child who is afraid of some monster coming out of the dark to attack me. While we were at Hogwarts it wasn't that bad. Although he was unconscious Harry was still there, close by. But here its different." Tonks explained in a monotone voice.

"Last night was the first bit of restful sleep I have had since we left Hogwarts." Blaise agreed. "Every night so far I have woken up with terrible nightmares. Most of them have been much worse than what actually happened." She said as she seemed to stare off into space.

XXX

As the two women were talking Harry climbed out of the shower and got dressed before making his way to the library. As he entered the spacious yet comfortable library Harry was surprised to Mundungus and nearly half of his friends present and looking over various tomes and scrolls while scribbling notes furiously on pieces of parchment that were spread out all over the place. With his mind full of confusion Harry approached the table 'Dung' was sitting at and took a seat across from him.

"What is going on?" He asked the older man quietly. For a moment Harry thought that he had not heard him and was about to ask again when the man raised his head and Harry realized that he was merely finishing the section he was reading.

"We're researching some of the items that we know are hidden in Borgin and Burkes. Between the group of us we have a pretty good idea what is there since each of us brought something in there at one time or another. In our line of work it is always useful to know the details and capabilities of specific items, you can negotiate for a better price that way, it could also save you from any mishaps. Remember Harry that it is not just some of the people in Knockturn Alley that are dangerous but everything hidden in all the little nooks and crannies as well. To be most effective you must know as much as possible about the location, not just the target." The man said seriously and Harry was looking at him with his mouth hanging open like a goldfish. He had never heard Mundungus speaking in a serious manner before much less make sense and speaking logically. Seeing Harry's surprise the old thief laughed.

"There are a great many actions that have almost nothing in common but function along the same guide lines. Being a criminal and operating these little surprise attacks we will be doing are among them. You need a lot of the same knowledge and tactics. When I first discovered it was you that had come up with this plan I was surprised that you wanted to include many people you would steer clear of under normal circumstances but I guess you saw at least some similarities in the work and I must say that that is surprising for a young man that has a reputation of always doing the right thing whether it was against the rules or not."

"Thanks, I think." Harry replied slowly when he suddenly had an idea regarding their first raid. "Can I look over your notes later? I just thought of something and wont have time to do much research."

"Sure, I'll get the boys to make copies of theirs as well and give them to the others."

"Thanks Dung." He half shouted as he ran out of the door. After several minutes of searching the ground floor Harry was unable to locate Professor Snape and began thinking that the man was still asleep. "Twinkle." Before he even finished calling the name the house elf was at his side waiting for instructions. "Twinkle do you know if Professor Snape is awake yet?"

"Yes Mast... Harry. Professor Sir is in the potions lab." She answered immediately but looked up wide eyed as if she feared he would punish her for almost calling him master after he asked her not to. But Harry did not seem to notice as he took on a surprised expression.

"We have a potions lab?" He asked dumbly.

"Yes sir. Mistress Lily insisted." She explained in a sad voice as pain crossed her eyes as she thought of the two dead Potters. Wanting to get her off such thoughts quickly Harry asked her to show him where the lab was and she cheerfully led him away. As it turned out the entrance to the potions lab was behind a large tapestry of the Potter family tree that was not unlike the one hanging on the wall at Grimmauld Place of the Black family. The biggest difference was that this one was in almost perfect condition and there was not one single name that had been blasted off. Either the Potter family had never had a family member go bad or they did not try to hide such 'disappointments' like the Black family did.

Twinkle led him down a very steep set of stairs and when they reached to bottom Harry was once again rendered speechless from shock. Unlike the dungeons at Hogwarts that were dark and musty this potions lab was bright and clean. It looked more like a muggle medical lab than anything else. It appeared to be about half the size of the Great Hall of Hogwarts and just as impressive. The floor, wall, ceiling, workstations, everything was constructed out of a dark marble and were of the finest quality. There were about thirty different workstations and each had plenty of room to brew your potion, prepare ingredients, and store such ingredients properly until they needed to be added. Along the wall were hundreds of alcoves with drawers with transparent fronts that held many different ingredients. Over all Harry was very impressed. Not only in the craftsmanship but also with the fact that this was his mother's lab. He had no idea that she even liked potions much less liked it enough to have her own lab built inside of her home. This thought brought his mood down significantly as he thought about how much he seemed to not know about his parents. In fact a lot of time it seemed that people purposefully kept such information from him. Either they intentionally ignored it or they seemed to swiftly change the subject when he brought it up. Hell, he didn't even know what his parents did for a living.

"POTTER! What are you doing here?" Snape began with a yell but then asked his question in a more respectful tone, well respectful for him, after remembering their 'discussion' the other night. Harry's head snapped to the side after hearing his ex-professor's voice. One look at the man and Harry knew that he still did not know of the morning's bazaar, if not confusing, events. Even though Harry thought he could give Snape a good fight he really didn't want to find out and discovering that his daughter had slept in Harry's bed would certain bring the man after his head.

"I came down here because I need to know what potions the Order has stock piled." This statement clearly threw the man off as he looked at his least favorite student with confusion clear in his eyes.

"Why..."

"Because there are a great number of potions that we could use here however many of them take quite a while to brew. So I figured you could give me a list of the more complicated potions that we could use, or at least have in stock, and I will have Albus send them over tonight with Fawkes." Despite himself Snape could not find anything wrong with the suggestion, in fact he was rather upset that he had not thought of it first. Then a sudden thought struck him.

"Why did you suddenly think of this Potter?" He asked as he looked at Harry suspiciously though he didn't seem all that intimidated by it.

"It's simple really. I figured that we could use some Polyjuice Potion this weekend. With Voldemort back in full swing it is highly possible that Borgin will be using his store to move more merchandise than usual. If this is so, than we could see more than a few customers walking in on us than I'm comfortable with. But with 'Borgin' behind the front counter we can hopefully work in the back room undisturbed for a while." Harry explained.

"Yes that certainly is a smart suggestion." Snape agreed reluctantly. "I will make my list and will begin brewing the quicker potions now so if you will excuse me Potter." No matter how nice it may look Harry certainly didn't feel at home in a potions lab so he had no problem leaving Snape to his own devises. He followed Twinkle back up to the kitchen where she insisted on making him breakfast. After eating he wrote out his letter to Dumbledore and when Snape returned with his list he sent both off with Twinkle.

XXX

After breakfast Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office with Alister 'Mad Eye' Moody and Professor Minerva McGonagall discussing a certain problem. The very noticeable split within the Order. Despite their firm belief in the innocence of their missing four members both McGonagall and Moody agreed that the Order could not afford to be divided. While everyday operations were running smoothly everything else seemed to be falling apart. Many members were refusing to even speak to anyone that did not believe as they did and confrontations and verbal arguments were an almost daily occurrence. Something had to be done to remove the feuding. The only problem with this idea though was that no one had any idea how to do it. So for the most part that simply sat in silence. That is until a quiet pop echoed throughout the room and a small house elf walked up to Dumbledore's desk. McGonagall instantly recognized it as the one leading the house elves that 'rescued' Harry and the others from the hospital wing. Moody simply watched the creature with interest.

"Dumbledore Headmaster sir, my master wished me to deliver this to you." She said simply as she handed him a few pieces of parchment. Albus took the offered letter and smiled kindly at elf.

"Thank you twinkle." He said and she vanished immediately. Unfolding the paper he began to read.

_Just so you know, this parchment has been charmed so that only you may read it and two seconds after you finish the final word it will be incinerated._

_I am writing this to inform you that we will begin our work in a few days time. At the moment I am unable to inform you of the details but I'm sure you will find out not long afterwards. I would also like to thank you and your friend for the 'gift', it is working out great so far. Enclosed is a list of potions that we will be needing either now or in the near future but as you will be able to tell we do not have the time to brew them ourselves. I assure you that we will be able to replenish your stock when we are able but at the moment they simply take to long to brew so if you can send them over with Fawkes it would be greatly appreciated. While on that subject I would also like you to send over those books that I was translating before I left. There is still a great deal we were not able to go over and I believe some of it could prove to be very useful later on._ _Inform the fur ball that the snakes send their 'affections', **(shudders).**_

After reading the final word Albus let out a short burst of laughter which was suddenly changed into a yelp as the parchment caught fire and burned his fingers. Composing himself slightly he picked up the other parchment that merely had about a dozen potions listed. The two that stood out the most were the Polyjuice Potion and Veritaserum. He could understand the Veritaserum but what did they need Polyjuice so quick for. Forgetting that he had guests in his office Dumbledore sat and tried to think of what their first target was and why they obviously needed the potion for it. After coming out of his musings he explained the letter to his two colleagues and though she was a bit annoyed at being referred to as a hairball McGonagall was happy to have the message passed on to her. Moody of course was very pleased that Harry had used no names and simply hinted at other details.

XXX

That night Harry was sitting in the library when Fawkes appeared in a burst of flames. Harry was actually surprised that he did not even flinch when it happened. He figured he was getting used to such things happening. He stroked the bird's feathers for a moment before he disappeared then he turned to the package he delivered. With a simple wave of his wand he enlarged the box and his eyes went wide when he noticed that it was much larger than he expected.

"What the hell did he send me?" He muttered to himself quietly as he opened the box. On top was a case that held a number of labeled veils and under that was the journals that were written in parseltongue. After removing the journals he reached in and to his surprise he pulled out a magnificent looking battlerobe. As he held it in his hands he looked at it in awe and was unconsciously holding his breath. The dark green of the scales dimly reflected the light in the room as Harry ran his hand over it. Harry found it ironic that the creature that had nearly killed him in his second year would probably go a long in saving his live in the future. He clearly remembered suggesting battlerobes to Moody and Remus but with recent events he didn't think it would happen. After a few moments he quickly stuffed it back in the box and shrunk it down once again before putting it in his pocket. He would wait until just before they left before handing these out as a surprise of sorts. After all not even top level Aurors could get their hands on battlerobes made out of such strong Basilisk skin so no doubt they will be just as shocked as him.

The next four days passed in a blur for Harry. He had decided to hold off on studying his animagus form until after their first raid and training and planning took top priority. He spent a good deal of time with Bill and worked on his dueling technique and went over the notes Dung and his friends had compiled on Knockturn Alley and the items they knew to be stored within Borgin and Burkes.

As promised, while Harry was asleep the time spent with Godric was used to train him to increase his speed and endurance. While awake he worked to master these exercises in the gym that was on the back of the ground floor of the house. He was usually joined by Bill while he worked out. The time not spent working out or dueling was spent in the library, learning new spells and researching dark objects that Dung and his people new little about.

It had been decided early on that they would not waste a dose of Veritaserum on Borgin because they would probably get very little out of the man. He was not a Death eater though his loyalties and sympathies certainly leaned in that direction. Any business conducted with Death Eaters was done anonymously and usually through a middleman. He rarely met his clients unless they needed to get rid of something quick due to Auror raids that they had been tipped off about.

The strangest events of those few days was definitely the actions of Tonks and Blaise. Although he greatly wanted to know why the two women were in his bed that night he could not help but feel relieved that they were keeping their distance from him. In fact the only time you would see them in the same room with him was at meals and even then they sat as far as possible from him and never made eye contact. Surprisingly no one seemed to notice the worn and tired features of the two though that could have been because of judicious use of glamour charms.

Saturday afternoon Harry was sitting by himself in the library staring at the pages of a book on wards but not really seeing the words. It was just two hours before they were due to leave for Knockturn Alley and he was feeling very nervous. He continually thought of ways this could go wrong and each one was worse than the one before it and he was near to a panic attack. Putting his book down he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths and he tried to calm himself.

'Come on Harry, pull yourself together.' He thought to himself with anger. 'Everything is going to go right. Everything must go right.' He kept repeating that to himself over and over hoping that he could make himself believe it. After some time he opened his eyes again and looked at his watch. It was nearly time. He replaced his books back on the shelves and left the library walking swiftly and a lot more confidently than he actually felt.

TBC


	10. Potter's Raiders

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr23**

**Chapter Ten: Potter's Raiders**

As Harry decended the stairs on his way to the entrance hall he both mentally berated himself for putting him and others in this position and did his best to convice himself that everything would be alright. When he arrived he found everyone else already waiting though they did not leave for fifteen minutes. While he had them all in one place he decided to hand out their 'gifts'. He removed the box that Dumbledore had sent him and placed it on the floor in front of him before enlarging it. A quick look around showed some very confused expressions and Harry was a little surprised to see both Snape and Tonks already wearing a set of battle robes. It was of no matter however since these were a lot better than anything they could have possibly bought. Without waiting for any questions he opened the box and pulled out one full set of robes. The moment their eyes landed on the material there was a collective gasp and it sounded as if all the air in the room had suddenly been sucked out. Seeing that everyone seemed to be at a loss for words Harry explained.

"I asked Moody to have these made a while back. Dumbledore sent them over with the potions and journels." He explained with a grin. He had told the others about the journels written in parseltongue but the fact that Blaise was a parselmouth was still a carefully guarded secret. Judging by the look on the other order member's faces it was obvious that niether Moody nor Remus had mentioned anything to the rest of the Order except maybe Dumbledore and possibly McGonagall.

"Potter, are those..." Snape began but stopped as he stared at the robes in awe. His look was mirrored by everyone else present.

"Yes they are." He answered happily. "Top of the line battle robes made out of thousand year old Basilisk skin. I understand that they are a great deal stronger than your standard battle robes and are much more durable." Harry explained before he began handing them out. The normally composed potions master was quick to shed his own robes to replace them with the newer ones with a look of awe still on his face. Tonks reacted much the same way though her movements seemed to be slower and more sluggish than usual. After everyone was properly outfitted Harry regained their attention.

"Now before we go i want everyone of you to put consealment charms on your robes so that no one will recognize them if we must go help the Order fight. We must not leave anything behind that would connect us to the Order later on. That would cause an awful lot of trouble for everyone concerned. Which brings us to today. Each one of us will have a portkey that will take us to different locations around Diagon Alley or Knockturn Alley, they will also be able to return you here if you get into serious trouble by simply saying deliver me from evil. They will also allow us to communicate with each other since some of you will be stationed around the area as lookouts. They are charmed so that only you will be able to hear any messages. If you simply tap them twice with your wand they will take you directly inside Borgin and Burkes. And just incase we run into trouble they are designed to pass through anti-portkey wards." Harry ignored everyone's shocked and disbelieving looks and continued. "Just to cover all the bases, if you are stunned or incapasitated in some way it will activate automatically. Dung, I want you, John," Harry said as he pointed to a man in his late thirties with dingy brown hair and worn features. "And Nigel here to make your way to the shop as soon as you arrive and start browsing. I will be stationed outside the Serpant's Lair Pub across the alley. After about three minutes I want you, Dung, to step outside and light your pipe if the shop is empty of other customers." Harry went on to explain what he wanted everyone to do and where to be until it was time for them all to leave.

After charming his robes and raising his hood he tapped his wand to the portkey that he was wearing around his neck, a simple gold chain, he was whisked away in a flash of dizzying color and sound. When his feet slammed into the ground he found himself in a small alley between Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions and, surprisingly enough, Weasley Wizard Weezes. It took him a few moments to get his senses under control but as soon as he did he was off. He ignored everything and everyone around him but was paying just enough attention to know if there was any danger around him. One thing he did notice however was that everyone seemed to be shying away from him and looking at him with suspision and even fear. 'Good, it will keep them away from me.' He concluded but someone else saw him as well and did not seem afraid. In fact he seemed very interested in why he was there. Harry however did not notice him and he quickly cast an invisibility charm and moved to follow after his new curiosity.

After passing several stores Harry came upon the entrance to Knockturn Alley. Without skipping a beat or even a second glance he entered the shadier shopping district. As he moved through the surprisingly crowded streets he had to weave his way passed wizards and witches of the most deplorable kind. Through his entire trip he wanted nothing more than to simply turn around and run back out into Diagon Alley but managed to keep his cool. It was several minutes before he came to his destination and leaned up against the outside wall of the run down looking pub as if he were simply taking a rest after a long day on his feet. From here he had a very good view of Borgin and Burkes as well as people moving in and out. It was not long after he arrived that both Dung and John entered the shop and Nigel probably wasn't far off.

Like in Diagon Alley passers by seemed to take notice and steer clear of him which he was eternally greatful for. As anticipated Nigel arrived just a few minutes after the others and took up his place within the store. Harry was just starting to feel nervous again when Dung came out and lit his pipe. He was very relieved now that the waiting was over and pushed himself up off the wall. However before he could take one step someone stepped in front of him and blocked his path. Looking up Harry was surprised to see the face of Marcus Flint, the former captain of the Slytherin quiditch team. Harry almost blasted the older man out of his way in panic until the man spoke up.

"I'm glad to see that you have finally wised up and saw that you were on the wrong side this entire time Potter..." Before he could utter another word Harry's right hand shot up and he dug his fingers in around the man's throat, just under his chin. with his left he grabbed Flint's wand hand to prevent any retaliation. With a quick jerk he spun around and pinned him to the wall and used it as extran leverage. Flint thought he was a Death Eater, apparently Voldemort was keeping his mouth shut about what really happened with those unspeakables but Harry was surprised that even the Dark Lord could prevent Draco Malfoy from bragging about what he and his father had done to Harry. A quick scan with his new magical eye, that was still hidden under the cloth patch, revealed that Flint had seen through his hood due to the magical lenses in his glasses. Harry let out a growl of frustration for not thinking of such a possibility. He decided to think about it later, he had other things to do after all.

"Despite my resent actions I am not your friend nor am I your ally. I now hold your throat in my hand, If you ever speak to me again you will not get it back." Harry growled before quickly stunning him. "Everyone place masking charms on your hoods." Harry muttered into his portkey as he growled in frustration that he did not think of that before. With masking charms normal magical lenses would be useless although magical eyes, such as Harry's, could still penetrate the hoods. He was crossing the street before Flint's body even hit the ground and made it to the shop's door just as Bill and Snape arrived. All three walked in together and immedietely went to work while Dung remained right outside the door.

"You're up." Harry said to Bill as he pointed towards the door leading into the back room while removing his wand with his other hand. Mr. Borgin looked surprised at first that his shop was full of hooded men but that wore off when Bill made to enter his store room. Before he could say anything though Harry quickly hit him with a powerful stunning spell before leaping over the counter. He plucked a hair out of the man's head and placed it into a thick liquid filled viel that he removed from his robes. Dung had just re-entered the shop and took the potion from Harry and swallowed it all in one disgusting gulp that left the man cringing. Almost immedietely his features began to change as a look of extrem discomfort shined in his eyes. In less than a minute the transformation was complete and Dung had to charm his robes to fit him again.

"Alright, lets go. John, Nigel, stay out here with Dung just incase something goes wrong. With luck this won't take long." Harry instructed as he and Snape dragged Borgin's body into the back room.

XXX

Kingsley Shacklebolt was wondering Diagon Alley early saturday evening for lack of anything better to do when something caught his attention. Someone had just emerged from a small alley between two shops and was walking quickly through the crowded streets. Normally this would not be anything unusual but what struck him as odd was that it was a rather hot a balmy summer evening and the person was wearing some rather heavy rust colored robes and had their hood up. Obviously this person did not want to be recognized. With his interest and suspicions peaked he decided to fallow the man and see if he was up to no good. His suspicions were confirmed somewhat when the unknown wizard entered Knockturn Alley. He stopped to think for a moment before making up his mind to continue his persuit. Not wanting to be recognized himself in such a place, Shacklebolt drew up his own hood and ventured into the darkened Alley.

As he walked, trying to locate the man again, he noted with confusion that he had passed at least three others dressed simularly to the man he was following. When he finally found him again he was leaning up against the Serpent's Lair Pub just as a fimilar face approached him. He had had a few run ins with the Flint family and they were near the top of his most hated people. He could not hear what the two said to each other but obviously Marcus Flint had choosen his words poorly. Despite himself and his need to stay hidden Shacklebolt almost burst into a fit of laughter at seeing what his mark had done to the arrogent young pureblood. This mirth however was buried when his target and three others in simular robes met outside the door to Borgin and Burkes and went inside. He was going to try to get a closer look and hopefully hear what was being said when a few sudden flashes of red light shined within the store.

Normally his insticts would tell him to charge in and fire curses at anything that moved but he knew that he was out numbered by at least four to one against an enemy he knows nothing about. No, in this situation prudance and caution were the correct paths. Deciding to get some back up he apparated directly to Auror Headquarters and rounded up a few men while sending a message to Professor Dumbledore with one of the house elves that worked at the Ministry.

XXX

Harry and Snape dumped Borgin's unconscious body against the wall in the store room, where the others had dumped the bodies of two stunned customers, and closed the door behind them. Bill was standing in the center of the room pointing is wand in various locations while chanting in some obscure dialect that niether Snape nor Harry could understand. As Bill worked the other two removed several different trunks from their pockets and enlarged them before kicking open the lids. Though they looked quite ordinary each trunk was charmed to accomodate twice the load that one would think by just looking at it.

"Potter," Snape began uncertainly and with a hint of respect. "How were you able to create portkeys that can pass through wards? To my knowledge not even Albus can pull that off." As Harry searched the shelves lining the walls for anything useful he thought about simply lying to the potions master but in the end he decided to endulge him. Snape for his part was a bit put out that Harry would not answer him, in fact he appeared to simply ignore him altogether. He was about to just go about his business when Harry spoke.

"Those journels from the Chamber of Secrets didn't just contain Hogwarts daily buisness and Slytherin's insane ramblings. A few days ago I came across one that was entirely different. Its not surprising really, after all with so many books they can't all be simple business records. Inside I found what appeared to be many complicated spells. Almost as complicated and hard to cast as the Patronus Charm. After realizing what I had I simply flipped through the rest of the journels to see if there were any more. There were infact seven such books. Three of them written by Methina herself just after she finished developing the written parseltongue language. Anyway Slytherin recorded many spells as well and portkey creation was one of them. Apparently these parseltongue spells are stronger than normal for some reason. That is why portkeys created this way cannot be contained by standard wards." Harry explained as he walked around grabbing things off the shelves and throwing them into various trunks. Snape for his part was staring at Harry with his mouth hanging open. He had heard of Voldemort trying to develope spells that incorparated pareltongue but he was never able to make it work. He was now very grateful that he had obviously not found those particular journels while he was a student. His attention was obviously more centered around the basilisk.

"I've got it." Bill exclaimed just as Snape was shaking off his thoughts and turning back to his work. Both he and Harry turned towards the oldest Weasley sibling just as a trap door in the center of the floor was opening up.

"Excellent!" Harry exclaimed as they all approached the newly revealed opening. Do to lack of light the three could not see passed the first four or five steps leading down. Concentrating hard on what he wanted Harry adjusted his magical eye to see through both the darkness below them as well as his blindfold. Even with this added advantage he could see next to nothing that lay below. Only a dirt floor and a few broken crates. With a softly whispered word the end of Harry's wand lit up and he began to decend the stairs with both Bill and Snape right behind him. As he got closer to the bottom shadows fled away from the light of his wand allowing the others to see what had been hidden in the dark. When they reached the floor none of them could supress a shudder at the intense feel of dark magic that was all around them. Looking around the room Harry had a hard time recognizing many items though he had been studying up on dark objects. Snape and Bill on the other hand seemed to know a great deal.

"My god!" Snape gasped as he quickly approached a shelf that was standing against the opposite wall. On the shelf was a crystal ball that seemed to have thick black smoke swirling around inside it. "This, this is a mind sphere." At Harry's confused look Bill leaned forward and whispered into his hear.

"A mind sphere is used to break into someone's mind. It takes someone with a good working knowledge of legilimency to operate and for that reason alone it is only used against those that are extensively trained in occlumency since they can usually do it on their own." Harry nodded in understanding before turning his attention back to the job at hand. Looking around the hidden cellar appeared to be about the same size as the front room of the shop upstairs. The room itself was more like a hole in the ground with dirt walls and floor. The shelves were packed full with ancient tomes and scrolls, potions and sinister looking objects. One thing in particular caught Harry's attention. Sitting on a table across the room was a large tank with a very familar looking reptile. He began making his way over to the tank when Bill suddenly grabbed him and spun him around.

"Harry don't. Thats a basilisk." Bill exclaimed loudly as he shielded his own eyes. The commotion brought Snape's attention away from the mind sphere and he quickly diverted his eyes as well. If the situation had not been as serious Harry would have found it amusing.

"It's not a basilisk Bill, it's an angulari." He corrected as he turned back to the tank after ducking under Bill's arm. Bill was not quite sure if Harry was right but he was damn sure what his mother would do to him if he let anything happen to Harry so he turned himself around and followed after him while still not looking at the tank.

"Are you sure Harry, I mean it certainly looks like one?"

"Yes I'm sure. An angulari looks almost exactly like a basilisk except they don't get nearly as big and they have a thin red stripe on the top of their heads. They are extremely venomous though." When both Bill and Snape turned to look at Harry like he had two heads he explained. "After Mr. Weasley was attacked by Voldemort's snake Nagini last year i did a bit of research on magical snakes. The Monster book of Monsters had a very large section dedicated to snakes so it was very helpful." He said in an offhand manner as he looked down at the nonmoving serpant. Thinking that he could take care of himself the other two men turned back to their tasks. Harry was about to speak to the snake when a whispered voice came through on his portkey.

XXX

Both Tonks and Blaise were stationed a few blocks away from each other just inside of Knockturn Alley and at the moment both women were intensely bored. If it weren't for the fact that they were surrounded by possible Death Eaters both might have fallen asleep do to their lack of sleep recently. Despite having nothing to do Tonks had to admit that Harry's plan was going well so far despite his aggrivation when telling everyone to cast masking charms on their hoods. For a few moments she, like the others, were confused but it quickly came to her. Someone must have seen through his hood and recognized him. Obviously, from the lack of action so far, the problem had been taken care of so no worries.

Despite possible Death Eaters Tonks was about to fall asleep anyway when she noticed several people making their way into the alley. Taking a closer looked she sucked in a deep breath when she recognized the tall figure of Kingsley Shacklebolt leading a team of Aurors. She quickly composed herself however as they drew closer and tried to make herself seem insignificant. As the group passed Shackebolt's eyes lingered on her for several seconds before his attention was turned back to the path ahead of him.

XXX

_"Sixteen Aurors lead by Shackebolt just entered the alley. And I have a pretty good idea where they're headed." _Harry heard Tonks say just as he was preparing to speak with the snake.

"Shit!" Harry swore as he ran back to the stairs and climbed back up. When he got there he through all of the trunks that were still up there down into the cellar. "Fill those up as much as you can then portkey out of here. We'll buy you as much time as we can, and take that snake with you." And without waiting for an answer he slammed the trap door down and made his way to the door.

_"Aurors just passed me. They will reach your position in about two minutes." _Blaise informed them. Harry knew that the four of them left upstairs couldn't fight off sixteen Aurors on their own, at least not without hurting them. And especially not with an Auror as powerful as Shacklebolt leading them. After some quick thinking Harry decided that they just had to buy a little time.

"Alright everyone, activate your portkeys and get over here." Almost immedietely the other fourteen members of their group suddenly appeared in the middle of the shop with wands drawn. Harry quickly waved the new arrivels into the back room and quietly shut the door again leaving Dung and the two others alone once again.

XXX

Professor Dumbledore was strolling around the school grounds when Shacklebolt's messanger found him near the edge of the forest. He was a bit startled by the urgency that showed on the small creature's face when she arrived and he began to get a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. After handing the letter to the Headmaster the elf disapeared with a pop. He carefully opened the letter and his eyes immedietely went wide. As he rushed back up to the castle he tried to figure out why the Death Eaters would want to attack Borgin and Burkes. After all Mr. Borgin had always been an asset to Dark wizards. Just as he was moving through the main doors it hit him. It wasn't the Death Eaters, it was Harry. Now Dumbledore was left with a difficult decision. Would he go to knockturn Alley with the back up Kingsley asked for and risk exposing Harry or possibly capturing him. Or will he try to ignore the message and stay at the school. Both choices had it's good points and very bad points. In the end he decided that the best option would be to go but to purposely arrive late to give Harry and the others the time to escape. With his plan in mind he walked to his office at a sadate pace where he would wait for a few minutes before making his way to the Great Hall as if he had just recieved the message.

XXX

It was not long before they could hear the shop door open and the echoing footsteps of several people moving around. Using his magical eye Harry confirmed that it was indeed Shacklebolt and he was very grateful that he decided to pull everyone back to the store. At least this way if it came to a fight there would be even numbers.

"Ah, Auror Shacklebolt." 'Borgin' greeted in a false cheery voice. "To would do I owe the honor of this visit?" Kingsley for his part ignored the man and instead looked around for the unknown wizards that he had seen enter the store. When he spotted the two men leaning against the far wall he slowly made his way towards them as he remained on his guard while his fellow Aurors spread out around the store.

"You, who are you?" He asked suspiciously as he kept his hand close to his wand. He could tell that both individuals had masking charms on their hoods and that only hightend his suspicions.

"My name is Even Coverson and this is my brother Christopher." John lyed smoothly while making no movement to remove his hood.

"If I may ask, why are you both wearing such heavy cloaks on an evening such as this?"

"Both my brother and I, as well as my father and a few uncles, suffer from Nocternum sickness. Sunlight and the rediation it spreads will kill us very quickly and very painfully, so when going out during the day we must make sure that we are completely covered." Nigel explained as he lifted his gloved hand. Shacklebolt looked at the two men through narrow eyes before turning to make his way over to Borgin. He clearly did not believe the two men but could not risk the possibility that they may be telling the truth only to kill them when removing their hoods to confirm their identity.

"So, was there anything that I could do for you mister Auror man. Would you care for a book on the fight for the equality of all magical creatures, or a bottle of chilled firewhiskey perhaps?" 'Borgin' asked in an innocent voice.

"Do shut up." Shacklebolt snapped in annoyance. He was just about to go search the back room when a sudden familar scent caught his attention. An overpowering smell of tabacoo and firewhiskey. He looked around wildly for a moment trying to find the source of the smell but it was no where in sight. Then a sudden thought struck him. Wipping his head back around towards the counter his eyes went wide as he serveyed the shop owner.

"Fletcher!" Kingsley exclaimed as he kept his sharp eyes on his fellow Order member. Dung for his part did not give anything away with his expression but he didn't deny it either.

On the otherside of the door Harry's mind shut down for a moment when Dung's name was mentioned. It took no time at all to shake it off but when he turned his attention back to the seen in the other room he saw a few Aurors reaching for their wands. 'Shit.' He swore to himself in anger before turning around to face the others.

"On the count of three we're going to storm through this door and launch a hail of stunning spells at everything that moves. If you have to use more powerful spells do so but try not to hurt them to much." Harry whispered to them and when they all nodded in understanding he began to count down from three on his fingers. When his last finger went down he threw the door open and everyone charged through, throwing spells as soon as they had someone in sight. The Aurors, who were either pointing their wands at Dung or the other two, were shocked at this sudden appearence and due to this four went down stunned almost immedietely. Quicker than Harry would have liked the Auror's training kicked in and began firing curses of their own. Kingsley wasted no time and simply stunned Dung before turning his wand to meet the new threat. In his haste he did not notice Dung's unconscious body disappear as his portkey activated. Using the speed that had developed from years of avoiding Dudley when 'Harry hunting', Harry crossed the room in a flash and turned over the large hard wooden cabinet that he had taken refuge in during the summer of his second year. Using the peice of furniture as cover he launched a series of disarming and banishing charms that were made stronger by the tempremental nature of his new wand. Despite the presence of many other fighters the Aurors seemed to have noticed the power Harry had and tried focus on him believing that he was the leader of this group.

Kingsley dove behind the front counter just as one of Harry's banishing charms came screaming by him. Instead of hitting the skilled Auror the curse slammed into the wall above the counter with such a force that a small hole was blown out and morter and plaster rained down on the crouching man. After the rain of debrie had subsided Kingsley looked up at the damage and breathed a sigh of relief that he was able to get out of the way. 'Damn he's good.' He thought to himself with reluctance before sending an explosion hex at the cabinet Harry was hiding behind.

As he fired spell after spell Harry kept scanning the room and watching as members of both groups went down. The irritating fact of this was that when an Auror was stuned or locked in a body bind their collegues would simply revive them while members of Harry's group were being whisked away by their portkeys the moment they went down. That was something he would definitly have to remember for the future. After stunning another man some rather eratic movement caught his attention off near the front counter. In a less hostile enviorment it would almost seem comical but instead it just left him confused and worried.

Shacklebolt was dueling with a member of Harry's team and while the older Auror appeared to be in top form the other fighter clearly was not as they stumbled around and their curses were no where near their mark. Using his eye to see through the masking charm on their hood he was surprised to see that it was Tonks because normally she was one of the strongest duelists in their group. Before he could find an answer however Tonks' shield came crashing down after a heavy blow from a disarming curse and she fell to the ground not long after. As Kingsley approached Tonks Harry jumped up from his cover to prevent him from removing her hood. With a strong wave and jerk of his wand he sent a very powerful banishing charm at the man. With his eyes wide open he was just able to dive out of the way before being hit but in that time Tonks' body had vanished indicated that she had apparently passed out which confused Harry greatly since he did not see her get hit by any curses. By this time it was down to just Harry and four other of his men while the Aurors still had seven able fighters. The others had been stunned and revived so many times that it was a risk to their health to do it again.

When his curse missed Kingsley and impacted the wall Harry had to jump back behind the cabinet to prevent from getting hit by all of the flying shrapnal that blasted out of the wall. After a few moments he poked his head back up just in time to see an explosion hex coming right at him.

"Oh shit." He gasped as he threw himself out of the way and stumbled away from the cabinet just before it exploded. As peices of wood, large and small alike, flew through the air Aurors and Harry's men alike were forced to drop to the ground or take cover to prevent themselves from getting shredded. However Harry wasn't fast enough and as a result ended up with a large chunk of wood lodged into the back of his left shoulder. Grunting in pain Harry pulled himself back up to his feet only to be thrown with incredable force back into the wall by a powerful bludgioning curse. Thanks to the strength of his battle robes he wasn't severly injured but he was still bruised pretty bad and the air had been knocked out of his lungs. He had no idea how long he layed there but when he was able to sit up and lean against the wall for support the rest of his people were gone and the only Aurors left standing was a very beat up Kingsley and another man that Harry did not know. Both men were looking at Harry in undisguised shock.

"POTTER!" Kingsley exclaimed as he spat Harry's name as if it were something foul. For a moment Harry was confused until he brought his hand up to his head and realized that his hood had fallen back. When his hand touched nothing but hair Harry groaned to himself. When both men raised their wands once again Harry quietly whispered the password to the portkey and disappeared in a flash much to Shackledolt's fury. The last thing Harry saw before disapearing was Professor Dumbledore rushing into the shop being followed by many other Order members.

XXX

When Harry's body slammed into the floor of the entry hall of his home it did nothing to help the aching mucsles and joints he was now sporting not to mention his killer headach. After a few minutes he was able to shake off most of the pain and look around to see if everyone else was alright. Both Snape and Bill, who were not involved in the fighting were moving around the small croud that was either sitting or standing around the hall healing what injuries they could while others that seemed to be fine with the exception of a few bumps and bruises were moving some of their more worn members up the stairs and into their rooms to rest. For the most part Harry was content to just sit there for the rest of eternity if it meant that he didn't have to move any more so that is just what he dicided to do. That is until Bill approached him.

"Harry, are you alright?" He asked with concern as he crouched down beside his younger friend.

"Yeah Bill, I'm fine. Just sore as hell. Kingsley packs one hell of a pounch." He hissed as he tried to work the kinks out of his back.

"That he does." Bill responded with a laugh. "The first dueling tournement I ever won I had to go against him in the final round. Obviously I won but that match was pure hell I'll tell you."

"Was anyone seriously wounded?" Harry asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"No, not really. just a bunch of bruises, broken bones and a few burns. However Tonks appears to be suffering from exhaustion for some reason. When she arrived here they couldn't find any wounds on her but she was out cold and they couldn't wake her up. When Snape and I got back he forced a dreamless sleep potion down her throat and had her taken to her room. Hopefully she will be fine by tommrow." He explained and Harry realized that that was probably why she was stumbling around the shop while she was dueling Kingsley. After thinking for a moment he decided that he had to talk to her in the morning to find out what was going on. They had avoided each other since he found her in his bed four days before and something was obviously going on. Of course thinking about that got him thinking about Blaise as well. Struck with a sudden suspicion Harry had Bill help him to stand up and then asked if he knew where Blaise was. Bill was obviously confused but told him that she was in the sitting room. Noticing the wound on Harry's shoulder Bill quickly healed it the best he could. Nodding his thanks Harry left the hall looking for his Slytherin friend.

He found her just where Bill said she was. She was sitting in a high backed armchair just staring into the fire that was roaring in the fireplace yet it gave off no heat. He was a little surprised that she gave no indication that she knew he was there. Usually she was well aware of all of her surroundings. Harry slowly lowered his aching body down into the chair opposite her and just watched. He was a bit disturbed to see a haunted and almost lost look in eyes and it brought out a fierce desire to protect her. Looking a bit closer he caught traces of magic around her face and he had a bad feeling what it was from. He slowly took his wand out of the wand holster on his wrist and pointed it at the girl.

"Finite Incantatem." He whispered. Almost immedietely several glamour charms were removed leaving Blaise looking almost nothing like the girl she usually is. Her eyes were dull and glassy with dark circles around them and it stood out much more since her skin was much paler than usual. Her face almost seemed to sag from stress and lack of sleep. In short she looked like hell. Harry stared at her in shock for several minutes until it was Blaise herself that broke the silence.

"So now you know." She said in a quiet almost weezing voice.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Harry asked in a very concerned tone. Blaise finally turned to look at Harry and almost immedietely he wished she hadn't. A direct view of her eyes showed much more than just a lost look. They showed pain and self loathing. Her eyes began to water up as she tried to speak but she just couldn't get the words out. Harry was out of his chair in a flash and pulled the distruaght girl into a hug as he tried to comfort her. Even he was surprised by his actions since he had never really done anything like that before, not even for Hermione when she was upset. Due to groing up with the Dursleys he just wasn't used to physical contact with people in a comforting way. After a few moments he helped her to stand up and led her up the stairs and into her room. As he left to get some Dreamless sleep potion, Blaise changed her cloths and crawled into bed. In no time at all Snape was barraling through the door with the potion clutched tightly in his fist and an almost paniced look on his face with Harry following quietly after him. Blaise tried to speak but both Snape and Harry urged her to just get some rest and they could talk in the morning when she was feeling better. Out numbered, she decided to follow their wishes and took the potion.

Know that Snape would want to speak with him, Harry remained outside of Blaise's room for almost an hour while he sat with his daughter. When he finally emerged he had his face set once again in that cold mask that is so common among Slytherins.

"Mr. Potter, may I speak with you for a moment?" Harry looked momentarily caught off gaurd by the almost polite tone but he could tell that it was not a request so he simply nodded and led the older man to his office that was connected to his room. Having no desire to seem as if he were in charge he passed by his desk and instead sat down in one of the large arm chairs off to the side of the room.

"What do you know about this?" He asked immedietely after sitting down. Since it was his daughter's health they were talking about Harry decided not to beat around the bush or fudge facts since he in fact knew very little.

"In truth sir I have no idea what is going on. Now i understand that as a parent what I am about to say will probably upset you but I simply ask that you listen to what I have to say." Snape's eyes narrowed in suspicion as Harry said this but he nodded just the same. "Alright, four days ago when I woke up I found Tonks sleeping in my bed with me. At first I thought something might have happened but quickly disguarded the idea. In short I had no idea what she was doing there but decided to ask her about it later. When I turned to get out of bed on the otherside I found Blaise asleep as well. Suffice to say that at that point I was near to having a heart attack so I just jumped out of bed and took off. I had no idea what the two of them were doing there and in all honesty it worried me. Since then we have been avoiding each other fairly effectively. But now we have both Tonks and Blaise laid up with exhaustion and for some reason I think it may be connected. But like I already said, nothing happened between us. The two of them just seemed to show up while I was asleep." While listening to Harry Snape's hands were gripping the arms of his chair in a vice like grip and his face looked absolutely furious. Harry was actually starting to get a bit worried when the man started taking a few deep breaths and seemed to calm down abit.

"Was that the only time this happened?" He asked in a cool voice.

"I think it is but I could be wrong."

"Fine, I believe that you are being truthful and that you didn't do anything unseemly towards my daughter. I take it you have no idea why either of them were there?"

"No sir. I could probably come up with a few theories but I must admit that when it comes to women I usually draw a blank." Unless his eyes were mistaken Harry saw a goast of a smile cross the man's lips. Since niether had anything else to say to the other they both headed off to bed and hoped that Blaise or Tonks could explain a few things when they woke up

XXX

"Where the hell were you? I sent you that message over an hour ago." Kingsley yelled as he paced back and forth in Dumbledore's office.

"I do appologize but when your messenger found me I was quiet a ways from my office and it took me a while to gather enough people. But it seems now that we must find out what Borgin was hiding in his shop to warrent an attack from the Death Eaters." Albus smoothly changed the subject from his lack of support and it did the trick as Kingsley spun around to face him.

"It wasn't the Death Eaters, I was Potter and a large group of others." He shouted out and Dumbledore did his best to look shocked.

"Harry? Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. The little bastard nearly killed me with the most powerful banishing charm I have ever seen. I'm pretty sure Snape and the others were with him as well but he seems to have gained some more support and they are much more skilled than your typical Death Eater."

"Well you and your men certainly gave them something to think about." Dumbledore said, trying to sound upbeat about what the Aurors were able to do but Kingsley only got even angrier.

"No, we didn't." He growled as he started pacing again.

"What do you mean?" Albus asked with genuine confusion.

"That fight was only to buy time. We found a secret store room in the back that had been completely cleared out. Potter and the others were fighting while they had someone else down there packing everything up. Those men could have killed most of us at any time but it seems they were merely playing with us, using simple spells but still doing a lot of damage with them. Each time one of their people went down they were taken away by some sort of portkey that can go through our wards. They were constantly losing men while we were reviving ours yet we were still hard pressed."

"Why would they do that? If they could defeat you then why go through that." Albus thought out loud.

"I don't know but the way they were doing it, it was almost like they were using this raid as a training tool for their fighters." When Kingsley said this Dumbledore almost let out a laugh. The man just got knocked around by people that were doing their level best not to severly injure him and his men so he writes it off with some illogical theory.

XXX

When Harry woke up the next morning it was still quite early and his body was very stiff and still incrediably sore. He wanted nothing more than to stay in bed but decided that he should get up to get something to eat since he hadn't eaten since luch the day before. Walking through the quiet house he figured he was the first one up and considering what happened last night he wasn't the least bit surprised. When he entered the kitchen he had to surpress a chuckle when he saw Twinkle already in there with his breakfast ready. How the house elf seemed to know where he was and what he wanted all the time he would never know but if it made her and the other elves happy who was he to argue. After thanking Twinkle and sitting down to eat Harry saw something he hadn't seen in a while and his mood was quickly elevated. Flying through the window was none other than Hedwig, who he hadn't seen since before he was captured by the Death Eaters. She landed on his shoulder and gave his ear an affectionate nip before clamping her beak down hard on it as if scolding him for leaving her behind.

"OWW! I'm sorry Hedwig but I wasn't exactly in any condition to remind them to bring you along." Harry said as he rubbed his sore ear that was now bleeding a little bit. The bird's attitude seemed to change almost immedietely and hooted as if in an apology before flying back to him and pointing out the paper that was laying on the table that she had delivered. Harry was confused for a moment since Hedwig knew that he didn't like the Daily Prophet so why would she bring it. Picking up the paper and unfolding it he quickly figured out why as his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped.

_**POTTER'S RAIDERS?**_

_**By**_

_**Christine Shakes**_

_As all of our readers know from recent events Harry Potter seemed to have joined forces with You-Know-Who. With the brutal murders of twelve Unspeakables he shredded the trust and expectations of the entire magical world. But now it seems that he has chosen a different path, a path where he takes orders from no one._

_Last night Harry Potter led an attack against a shop in Knockturn Alley that has been suspected of aquiring dark and illegal merchendice for dark wizards such as Death Eaters and possibly the Dark Lord himself. As many of you would suspect this shop is indeed Borgin and Burkes. It is unknown what was contained in the store that attracte Potter's attention but if it was being held for the Dark Lord than the public has a reason to worry. When a team of Aurors arrived a large scale magical duel erupted within the shop that left fifteen Aurors hospitalized with sever injuries and magical exhaustion. Reports from witnesses that watched the fight throught the windows say that the Aurors were outclassed in nearly every way when it came to power and skill but were able to hold on because the injured 'Raiders' would be portkeyed away leaving their commrades a man short. But if this is indeed true than we must seriously question the skill and compotense of the Aurors and the Ministry in defending the population against both You-Know-Who and Harry Potter. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement has always had a good track record when fighting Death Eaters but it seems that Harry Potter trains his men and women far better than the Dark Lord. If Potter can hold his own against an entire team of Aurors with just a few other strong fighters than what are we supposed to do when he begins launching large scale attacks against the wizarding population. Or worse, joins his fighters with the Death Eaters._

_It is unknown when the Ministry is going to speak out about this new threat but many are calling for Minister Fudge to act now. With Harry Potter's popularity despite his crimes and his capabilities he could have wizards and witches flocking to him. It has not been confirmed yet but since they were his accomplices for the murder s of the Unspeakables it is highly likely that former Hogwarts professor and Death Eater Severus Snape, former Auror Nymphadora Tonks, and former Hogwarts student Blaise Zabini are members of this new faction. Witnesses say that another man was identified at the scene but his name has yet to be released._

"Oh shit." Harry groaned as he through the paper across the room. The artical went on and on and on for three whole pages with several side articals refering to Harry's life and his 'decent into darkness'. For a brief moment a smile crept across Harry's face at the thought of what Snape would say when he found out that he was now refered to as one of Harry's followers. However his amusement didn't last long as he thought about the consequences of a new 'faction' as the artical called it poping up. With him being a suspected Death Eater the Ministry would be after him for sure but their attention would still be focused on Voldemort as well. Now however Fudge will probably divide his forces to try to combate both of these threats. However with them believing that Harry is now some new Dark Lord Fudge will certainly be pressured to expand the training for new Aurors and other law enforcment personel. Just the thought of all the ups and downs was really giving Harry a headach.

TBC

I appologize but I had a hard time writting that artical for the Daily Prophet I think it is terrible so if you think it sucks then you are not alone. However I hope you like the rest of the chapter and I wait for your reviews and questions. ta ta.


	11. Confilcts Among Friends

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr23**

**Chapter Eleven: Conflicts Among Friends**

The village ofLittle Hangleton was relitively small and a quiet place to live. Despite it's warm and inviting setting it still had it's own demons. Sitting atop the hill over looking the village was the dark and gloomy image of the Riddle House. It had been over fifty years since it's owner and his family had been murdered and the house was still empty. For many years the houses gardener, Frank Bryce, continued his work despite the rumors that he was responsible for the family's deaths. He remained loyal to the house he served for so long until he became a victim of the same mysterious death as his employer. It would seem that the true murderer had returned to town. The body of Frank Bryce was found the morning after his death behind the waste bins in the back alley behind The Hanged Man pub in town with the same horrified look almost burned into his eyes.

It had been over two years now since the death of the wrongfully accused gardener and not a soul in Little Hangleton had approached the old house since. Like any other deserted home the inside was a complete mess with many spiders, rats and other vermin taking up residence. The little furmiture that remained was falling apart as time and nesting mice wore down the fabrics. The paint on the walls was now little more than a crumbling mess with no disernable color standing out. However unlike most other deserted homes the Ridlle house was much more than it appeared. As the house itself was little more than a crumbling ruin you would be greatly surprised to see what lay below.

Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lord Voldemort, sat upon a large dark uncomfortable looking throne made of onyx as he surveyed his followers with a bored expression on his face. But those that had been with him the longest could clearly see the intense fury in his eyes. Just hours before his Death Eaters had captured Potter and his friends he had left to recruit some more followers from over seas. He had taken a great deal of joy in breaking into Snape's mind and sorting through all of his dirty little secrets and had left immedietely afterwards as the others took turns punishing the traitor. In all of their incompetence they had failed to send word of Potter's capture until five days later and by the time he returned they had escaped and killed several of his key Ministry insiders in the process. There had been a great deal of suffering that day, though most had no clue as to why they were being punished. After a few days and countless curses he finally began to calm down. Now this had to happen.

Most of the stolen items Burkes was holding could be replaced if you knew where to look but the remaining stock was of great value and extremely rare. And the fact that it was Potter that had led that raid only served to infuriate the Dark Lord furthur.

"Luciusss, please explain to me how thisss happened without me being notified. You were told to have the place watched incase something of thisss nature were to happen." The Dark Lord hissed causing several Death Eaters present to shudder out of reflex. The adressed aristocrate moved from his place and approached his master. Lowering himself to his knees he kissed the hem of his robes before speaking while he remained on his knees.

"I appologize My Lord. I had Marcus Flint on duty yesturday. Apparently he recognized Potter and approached him believing that he had choosen to serve you. Potter stunned him and went about his buisiness." Malfoy replied in a sudmissive manner. If he was going to be punished for this he would be damned if he was going to suffer alone. Perhapes the experience would even teach Flint to be more cautious in the future. After all it was not just his own life Flint had put in danger because of his stupidity but Malfoy's as well. If Lucius Malfoy was anything at all he was a survivor and he would not let some petty thug from a poor family be the end of him. Without warning Malfoy was pulled from his thoughts as he collapsed to the ground as he screamed out in agony. He had been placed under the curse many times before but he would never get used to feeling as if his very skin was melting off and shards of glass were running through his veins. The pain seemed to last forever but when the curse was finally lifted his body was still twitching in pain as he gasped for air and tried to make it back to his knees. Voldemort however did not seem to care about his servent's descomfort.

"Flint!" The Dark Lord snapped. His usual hissing voice was replaced with a dark and sinister growl that terrified everyone present. It was quite clear that Flint would not be so lucky as Malfoy for his failure. The room was entirely still for many moments before a shaking figure stepped away from the rest and approached his lord. He got no furthur than three steps however before a bright green flash of light slammed into his chest and the former Quiditch captin dropped to the ground, his eyes dull and lifeless as they stood open wide and frightened.

"Now everyone leave!" No Death Eater had to be told twice as they quickly turned and fled from the room. Malfoy was nearly out the door when Voldemort called him back in. The blond aristocrate's face was nearly sheet white as he turned back around and stepped forward.

Harry sat the empty dining room table thinking over everything that had happened in the last twelve hours and their implications. He had hoped that he could go on for a while before either the Ministry or the rest of the Order found out that it was him and the others that were preforming these raids. But no, they had to be identified their first time out. Well he was identified, they would correctly assume that the others were with him. The fact that Mundungus was identified by Shacklebolt would also cause some inconveniences but that could be worked around. The biggest of Harry's concerns however involved Fudge. He would have no choice but to allow the recuiting of new Aurors but the public demand could quite easily force them to step up the training by taking short cuts. It would be a whole lot better to not have any new ones than to have a load of under trained rookies. Hearing the door behind him open up he looked back to see Snape walk in with the mind sphere clutched tightly in his hands. Harry almost laughed when he thought that the potions master seemed to be treating it like some young child he was terrified of hurting.

The older man didn't seem to notice his amusement though as he looked like he was fighting some internal struggle as he sat down opposite Harry. The two sat in silence for several minutes but while Harry was content to simply sit there lost in his own thoughts, it was quite obvious that Snape had searched him out for a reason, a reason he was not at all thrilled about. Harry knew very little about the mind sphere that his former professor held close to him but it's very presence made him feel uneasy. Especially in the hands of a man that had been in his mind on numerous occasions.

"Is there something you needed?" Harry asked in a neutral tone though he felt a great deal of curiosity about what could make the man so nervous. The sudden break in silence brought Snape back to reality and Harry was impressed with how quick that familar cold mask replaced the nervous features that were so abnormal on the potions master's face. With his usual scowl in place Snape glared at Harry for several minutes. Far from intimidated, Harry never wavered and broke eye contact. After several moments the look on Snape's face turned from annoyed to confused and even a little shocked.

"Potter, Have you been practicing your occlumency?" Gasped out. Legilimency through eye contact was not as powerful as using a wand but he should have still been able to get something from the boy. It was almost as if Potter's mind was not even there. Harry could no longer keep the smile off his face. Just for the pleasure of seeing the look on Snape's face Harry suggested that the man use his wand to test his shields so that he may have a 'professional opinion'. This was an oppertunity that Snape could not possibly pass up. Potter had actually given him permission to enter his mind and he would act upon it.

Unlike the occlumency 'lessons' he recieved from Snape last year, Harry could feel no significant presence tearing through his mind. Instead it felt like a gentle prodding almost like the feeling you get when you deflect an extremely weak curse. Harry waited for Snape's reaction and he was not disapointed. The older man seemed to lose all color in his face as his wand fell from his hand and clattered on to the table before rolling on to the floor as he stared at Harry with wide eyes and a gaping mouth that seemed to open and close like a goldfish. He had never seem the shields of a natural occlumans before but he could certainly feel the strength and power in Harry's. Because he wanted to know what the man had origionally came to discuss Harry kept his laughter to himself but could not fight the smirk that spread across his face.

"How... how is this possible?" He stuttered as his wand remained forgotten on the floor. He could not possibly understand how anyone much less Potter could master the art so completely in such a small space of time. It had taken him years to reach his level of mastery and this mere boy surpassed him in a fraction of the time.

"It's simple really. I'm a natural occlumans." Whatever answer he was expecting it wasn't this.

"How is this possible? People are born with that gift, it can't be aquired." The man gasped out.

"I have a few theories but nothing for certain." So Harry explained how Voldemorts killing curse had locked away his occlumency skills while he gained some of Voldemorts abilities. When he said that the skill was released with his animagus ability when they escaped from the Death Eaters Snape could do nothing but nod stupidly in agreement. He had never heard of such a thing happening before but the way Harry explained it it sounded quite plausible. As he sat across the table from his former student Snape could not believe that such a well thought out and researched explaination came from the boy. Of course Harry simply repeated Gryffindor's explaination almost word for word but Snape didn't have to know that. After all, who would believe him if he said that one of the Hogwarts founders visited him in his dreams.

"So what's on your mind?" Harry asked as he leaned back in his chair. Snape quickly collected himself and finally got to the point.

"As Bill Weasley explained to you last night Potter, this here is called a mind sphere. The Dark Lord used one simular to this to break through my mental wards and access my memories. My shields held longer than I expected them to but even then I had no chance. What i want from you Potter," At this point Snape swallowed as if what he was suggesting left a foul taste in his mind. "I need your help in training my mind against such intrusions." Now it was time for Harry to look shocked. Did Snape of all people just ask for his help?

"Why ask me?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

"Because I don't know enough about Fletcher or Weasley to trust them inside of my mind. Tonks would probably drop the sphere and ruin the whole point. And the memories I carry will never be seen by Blaise. So that leaves only you. I have never made any secret of the fact that I don't like you Potter but after last year you proved that you could be trusted to keep certain facts to yourself." Snape sounded as if it were killing him say these words.

"One problem, I was told that you had to be able to use legilimency to operate the sphere?"

"That is true, that is why I planned to teach you enough to use it."

"Alright I'll help you on one condition. Instead of just teaching me enough to use the sphere I want you to teach me everything you know about legilimency."

"Potter, advansed legilimency is classified as a dark art." The man sneered.

"Yes, I know. But I will use everything I can to stop Voldemort and his Death Eaters and if that means certain magics that are looked down upon, then so be it. So when do you think Blaise and Tonks will be up and about?" Harry changed the subject at Snape's gobsmacked expression from Harry bloody Potter admitting that he would use the dark arts if necessary. Not even Albus Dumbledore would use such magic to defeat the Dark Lord. For a moment he looked confused at the change of subject but quickly composed himself.

"They should be asleep for a few more hours at least depending on how low their energy reserves were." Surprisingly concern was dripping from his voice as he said this but Harry reminded himself thaat he had every right to be concerned.

"Oh yeah," Harry said with a grin as if he had just remembered something. "Have you seen the morning paper?" With a wave of his wand he summoned the Daily Prophet from where he had thrown it across the room. After taking a few moments to smooth out the pages he handed it to his reluctant ally and waited to see his reaction to being reffered to as one of 'Potter's Raiders'.

Lucius Malfoy was shaking slightly in fear as he returned to his place before his master. When the Dark Lord called him back after the meeting concluded he nearly lost control of some of his more messy bodily functions. The only time the Dark Lord held someone back while the others left was when he needed to discuss something that was to be withheld from the rest of the Death Eaters or he wished to continue punishing someone in private. With the lastest blunders Malfoy rightfully assumed that his master had more instore for him then just a simple curciatus curse. When he was just ten feet away from the Dark Lord Malfoy went down to one knee and kept his eyes down as he stared at the floor in fear unaware that another Death Eater had hung back as well and listened from his hidden position by the door.

Voldemort surveyed his kneeling servent with contempt. Though he demanded absolute obedience from his Death Eaters he was disgusted by the fear they were not able to hide. They were supposed to be the most powerful of the pureblood families and yet they could not look their master in the eye while a mere child defied him. A child they had allowed escape. For the longest time their fear was a source of great amusement for him but now it only served to annoy him. It took forever to desiphere what they were saying through all of their stuttering and half formed mumbles. Only Bellitrix and Snape had shown no fear of him. Snape because of his mastery of his thoughts through occlumency. Bella, she showed no fear of anything or anyone, probably because she was completely insane.

"Stand up, Lucius!" Voldemort commanded in annoyance. If there was one thing he hated more than Harry Potter, it was cowardiss. Malfoy quickly stood and lifted his head though his eyes looked at anything other than his master. "I have long given the thought of taking on an apprentice to train and to place in charge if I am unavailable." This statement got Malfoy's attention immedietely and the man finally met his master's gaze as his eyes shined with shock and even a little fear. If the Dark Lord took on an apprentice then that man would become untouchable while he was free to exhurt authority over everyone else. Most Death Eaters feared Bellatrix because of the power she received from of her close relationship with the Dark Lord. Many times she used her position to eliminate her enemies and those she considered a threat. Hell, she would even accuse fellow Death Eaters of being spys simply to see what methods of torture the Dark Lord would use to interrigate them. But an apprentice would have the potential to be even worse.

"It is an idea I have dismissed many times, afterall who could possibly be worthy of my teachings?" Voldemort asked with a smirk. "However, your recent blunders have shown me that what little faith I hold in you is severly misplaced. I would have offered this honored position to Potter. The boy certainly has potential, but the brutality he showed my Death Eaters two weeks ago showed me that he will not be swayed. What I want to know, Lucius, is what you think about young Draco's capabilities?" A host of emotions played themselves across Malfoy's face as he listened to his master. Shock that he would think of Potter as a potential apprentice and heir. And then contempt and anger at the mention of his son as a possibility. Temporarily forgetting his fear Lucius spoke up in a loud and firm voice.

"My Lord, my son is not worthy of being my heir much less your's." As if realizing that his tone could be construed as disrespectful he quickly dropped back to one knee and apologized for his rudeness. Voldemort for his part waved it off and told him to elaborate on his statement.

"Master, the only thing about Draco that holds true to his family is his hatred of mudbloods and his loyalty to you. Beyond that he is a disgrace to the Malfoy name. He is by no means powerful, he must hide behind those to idiotic thugs when any confrontation arises and is to much of a coward to step up and take responsibility for his rightful place in the magical world. Instead he takes every occasion to look to me to handle all of his childish problems. Instead of bringing pride to the Malfoy family he brings only shame and dishonor. When, 'wait till my father hears about this', is the statement that is spoken most often it shows only the pathetic nature of a weak minded fool who is no better than a squib." Lucius spat as he finished. To the pureblood fanatics being a squib is much worse than a muggle or muggleborn. To them giving birth to a squib is a sign of bad blood and an insult to the entire family. Voldemort seemed to enjoy Lucius' explaination and his eyes flickered towards the door a few times as a smirk slowly formed across his lips.

"Very well Lucius, I will expect you to keep your eyes open for anyone that may be worthy. If you find them then bring them before me no matter what family they are from. Someone's loyalties may not be what they seem so check everyone possible. And I'm sure I don't have to tell you not to bother looking at mudbloods." Lucius merely nodded.

"Yes My Lord, I will begin immedietely." Voldemort simply dismissed him with a casual wave of his hand and the man turned to leave.

"Oh and Lucius," He hiss out to the man's retreating back. "Crucio." The man had not even the time to brace himself from the pain before it washed over him and knocked him to the floor as his body twitched and jerked about as he screamed in pain. The screams and laughter from the Dark Lord echoed off the stone walls and together it sounded more like a banshee than a couple of humans.

Outside the door the easedropper's face was red with anger as he fought to keep his breathing steady though it was a lost cause as he breathed in deep gasps. When he heard the cruciatus curse cast he spun on his heal and marched down the narrow corridor that would lead him to the apparation point within the Death Eater's headquarters. When he arrived the room was empty so he would have to make no excusses for leaving which suited him just fine. Over and over again he screamed in his head how he would prove his father wrong and show him that he was not weak. With one more thought he vanished and was on his way to his destination. Hogwarts.

Harry had made a hasty retreat when Snape finished reading the paper and began cursing the world as loud as he could. As amusing as he found it he didn't want to run the risk of his presence giving Snape something else to focus his anger on. After all he was already going to have to have a discussion with Tonks, Blaise and Snape about why they were in his bed among other things and that was sure to raise the man's blood by it'self. So Harry spent the next several hours skimming through the library, reading up on numerous curses and charms that he may find useful. One of the few that he had read about in depth was the memory charm. He was actually quite surprised by how simple it truely was. The standard charm was simply saying the incantation while thinking about how far back you wish to erase. This version of the charm is only good for erasing the memory of something the person had just seen or heard because it is not powerful enough to go back more than a couple of hours or seek out specific memories. The advanced charm is much more complicated because it targets specific memories and replaces them with a fabricated one. Harry had no dellusions about being able to preform the advanced charm anytime soon but he planned on practicing it when he got the chance.

Despite his new abilities he decided to read up on advanced occlumency to get an idea of what might be possible. He was not surprised to read that a master occlumans could cast off the imperius curse without batting an eyelash but he was a bit relieved that he would not have to worry about that. Since he was able to cast it off in his forth year and his own formidable mental shields only one like Dumbledore or Voldemort would be able to get much of a response but even that should prove to be little trouble for him. He had just put this book aside in favor of one detailing the first war with Voldemort because he figured he could get some insight into what the wizard may do this time around. Before he could even open the book however he was pulled back to reality when a burst of flames appeared right next to his head. Pushing off from the table he knocked his chair backwards and had to jump to his feet to prevent himself from falling on the floor. After grabbing the wall to steady himself Harry looked around quickly and narrowed his eyes in annoyance when he saw Fawkes sitting on the table looking at him with amusement shining in his eyes.

"So you think thats funny do you?" Harry nearly growled as he picked his chair up off the floor. "What are you doing here so early?" He asked when he turned back to the ancient bird. Normally Dumbledore sent his messages in the evenings so that if he had any visitors in his office during the day Fawkes would be there. If he were absent people would surely wonder about what the Headmaster had him doing.

With the change in subject to why he was there Fawkes lost all sign of amusement and became down right angry. The phoenix lowered his head and ripped a message off his leg before literally spitting it out onto the table. With one last look at Harry Fawkes vanished just as suddenly as he had appeard. Filled with curiosity over his reaction Harry stepped forward and picked up the parchment but it left him with more questions than answers. As had become normal in their correspondence no names were mentioned but it seems that Dumbledore never learned to desguise his handwriting.

_Due to some recent events it has become necessary for two others to go into hiding. At the moment your home is safer than even Hogwarts for these people. I would like for you to send Twinkle over to bring us to you for a meeting as soon as possible. All will be explained upon our arrival._

With his curiosity peaked he immedietely called for Twinkle and asked her to do as the Headmaster had asked. She nodded in agreement and said that she would bring them to his study before leaving. As secret keeper Twinkle could bring anyone to the house without actually allowing them knowledge of their location. Not even Dumbledore could reach the house without help. Harry took a few minutes to replace all his books in their correct locations before making his way to his study. When he walked throught he door his curiosity gave way to rage.

"MALFOY!" Harry screamed in rage as he drew his wand and advanced on the pale boy who was sitting casually in one of the high backed chairs sitting infront of his desk. He seemed to have tunnel vision and did not appear to notice that in the room as well were Albus Dumbledore, a familar Hufflepuff girl and an extremely displeased house elf. Before he could get to close Dumbledore stepped in forward and cut him off. For a moment Draco showed a great amount of fear when he saw Harry but regained his smug superior look when Dumbledore step in front of him.

"Harry I must ask you to calm yourself." Dumbledore began but got no furthur as Harry's attention was turned towards him. The fury burning in his eyes almost made the old man flinch but he managed to retain his calm demeanor.

"How dare you bring this piece of shit here?" He spat out before taking a few deep breaths. "You better have a damn good explaination for this." His voice was much calmer but a deaf man could pick up the steel in his voice as his eyes burned into the old man. Harry had no intention what so ever of letting Draco stay but he decided that he wanted to know why Dumbledore would be so stupid to bring him there. Without moving from his position between the two young men Dumbledore began to speak. He decided that using the usual stall tactics he enjoyed so much would not be a good idea in this situation.

"It would seem that young Draco no longer wishes to follow his father and serve Voldemort."

"And what, may I ask, changed his mind?" Harry asked in a sarcastic tone. It was quite clear that he had no intention of believing any of it.

"That is something that must stay between Draco and I, I cannot answer your question." Albus said as he looked at Harry as though he expected the young man to except this. If anything Harry's eyes seemed to get even harder.

"No, you will answer. If you don't then the rest of this conversation is unnecessary. You are here because you want my assitance and to get that you will have to answer every question I ask. So I repeat, why did he change his mind?" Dumbledore sighed in defeat and Draco looked shocked at the way Harry was speaking to the man.

"It seems that he overheard a discussion between his father and Voldemort in which Lucius expressed his belief that Draco was not an acceptable cantidate for Voldemort's apprentice." Harry was able to hide his suprise at Voldemort's new 'project' but could not help the smirk that formed on his lips at hearing how little Draco's father thought of him.

"Well I can certainly understand that." When Dumbledore asked him what he meant Harry continued. "I have come to learn an awful lot about Lucius over the last few years. Though I despise the man I must admit that he is actually fairly intelligent and powerful. He's cold, methodical, and patient. But they say talent skips a generation." Harry sneered as he turned his eyes to the young Slytherin. "I have also come to learn that Draco is nothing more than a mere shadow of his father. He has all the hate of those pureblood bigots but that is all he is. He is a coward and he's weak." Draco's face was red with anger but before he could say anything Dumbledore attempted to defuse the situation.

"Harry this is not productive."

"Your absolutely right. I can sit here all day discussing Malfoy's shortcomings but there is only one more question I want answered. What did he do that requires that he come here. I know him well enough to know that he would never come to you for help so what did he do?" He asked in a curious tone thought it was obvious that he demanded an answer. Seeing that his former Headmaster was reluctant to respond he pushed again. "You have a choice, you can either answer my question or I can have Snape come in here and get the answer for me. I can assure you he will not be gentle with the search."

"He's right, I won't be." Everyone turned towards the door to see an obviously furious Snape and the very worn but angry forms of Tonks and Blaise. Harry checked both women over with his magical eye to make sure they were no longer trying to hide their exhaustion before turning back to the room's other two occupants.

"When Fawkes arrived he was quite angry. I have a pretty good idea that it was because of this situation. Now are you going to give us an answer or is Snape going to have to get it for us?" As if to emphisize his point Snape drew his wand and stepped fully into the room. Seeing no alternative Dumbledore explained why Draco had to go into hiding.

Apparentely after Draco overheard his father speaking to the Dark Lord he headed to Hogwarts to try to prove them both wrong. His chosen assignment? Kill Dumbledore. He had made his way to Hogwarts through the Forbidden Forest. After slipping into the castle he used all the secret passages he new of to avoid being spotted before making it to the entrance to the Headmaster's office. To his surprise and glee the gargoyal that was usually gaurding the entrance had been moved aside giving him free passage. That, however, was the high point of this little 'journey'. Upon throwing the door open Draco must have fired half a dozen killing curses in different directions around the office as if he were trying to hit something that was running across the room. From his position behind his desk Dumbledore would have found this almost amusing if it had not been for the fact that those curses were both deadly and fired at him. Dumbledore cleared his throat to get the boy's attention but had to duck as another curse came flying right at him. As the curse slammed harmlessly into the wall behind him Albus sat back up and in a move that seemed to be quicker than lightening he drew his wand and disarmed his young student.

Harry, Snape, Blaise and Tonks all looked at Dumbledore with a dumbfounded expression. Harry and Snape looked back and forth between the young Death Eater and Albus a few times before looking at each other and bursting into a fit of laughter. Everyone looked at Snape with wide eyes, apparently not even Blaise had seen him this amused very often. Just the very idea of Draco thinking he could take Dumbledore was the funniest thing they had heard in a very long time.

"Draco took it upon himself to kill you so that he could make his daddy proud?" Harry asked in a mocking tone that was finshed in a childish voice that was not unlike the one Bellatrix had use after she killed Sirius. Even Twinkle began giggling to herself by now and Harry was pleased to see how infuriated Draco had become. "Now that you have answered my questions I will answer your's. No, Draco will not stay here."

"Harry I'm afraid I must inssist. This is not open to debate!" Albus said firmly as if his words were law. He quickly discovered that he chose his words poorly. Almost immedietely the tempreture in the room seemed to plumet.

"You're right, it is not open to debate. HE WILL NOT STAY HERE!" He said coldly, emphesizing every word. "You seem to forget yourself Albus. As per our agreement, I am in charge here, not you. This is my house, not your's. **I** will decide who stays here and if you have any arguments to the contrary, tough shit. We have to many things going on around here to be bothered with babysitting some snot nosed brat that that got his feelings hurt. Not long after we were first captured Draco took a great deal of pleasure in holding me under the cruciatus curse and watch how much pain I was in. Through that whole week he came back a few other times becoming more sadistic each time. For a coward he sue as hell grows a pretty big set of balls when his opponent is chained to the wall.

But we have strayed slightly off topic. Including myself, we have eighteen people and ten house elves here. We know for a fact that he has tortured four people at least, all of whom are in this room, and you admit that he tried to kill you. You may be able to forgive those that have wronged you easily but the rest of the world is not as forgivng. If you wish for Malfoy to be your little pet project for redemption then so be it, but do it on your time not mine. You will not make such idiotic decisions and then pass the responsibilities on to me. You may want to give him a second chance as you once did for Snape but rest assured that as soon as I am able to I will make sure he rots in Azkaban. Unless I kill him first." Everyone looked surprised at the attitude Harry was taking but the three other former captives whole heartedly agreed. Dumbledore looked saddened but Malfoy retained his usual sneer.

"Malfoy, you had better wipe that smirk off your face before I do it for you." Harry growled.

"You can't do anything to me POTTER." Draco spat out his name before tapping his wand with his middle finger as if he were trying to intimidate Harry. It didn't work. Apparently he thought that having Dumbledore on his side made him untouchable.

Since Dumbledore was standing in between the two there were two choices; Harry could either try to go around him or through him. In the end he decided on the second option. For the first time in over one hundred years someone actually had the balls to knock Albus Dumbledore aside to reach their target. With a strong shove he was slammed into a small side table and near flipped over it. But with practiced ease he regained his footing and prepared to break up any confrontations. However when he turned back around he found that he was now being blocked in stead of the other way around. Tonks, Blaise and Snape all stood infront of him with wands raised, preventing him from intefering. Albus was good, very good, but even his stubborn mind accepted the fact that he could not defeat the trio in time to save Draco.

As soon as he passed Albus Harry was upon Draco in less than two seconds. The boy didn't have the time to draw his wand or even stand up from his chair. Lightening seemed to flash before his eyes as Harry's fist contected to the left side of his face. The force of the blow knocked him backwards into a casual sitting position. When he looked back up all he saw was Harry's foot as it lashed out and slammed into his chest causing him to flip backwards onto the floor. Not giving him any time to recover, Harry pressed on. As Draco tried to get to his feet what little air that was still in his lungs was now forced out as Harry kicked him forcefully in the ribs. Seeing that the others had Dumbledore effectively occupied he gave his enemy a few swift kicks to the face and head before turning his back on the bleedly and unconscious boy. Pulling out his wand Harry muttered a quite _obliviate _while thinking about the last hour. Hopefully Dumbledore didn't give him any information before that time. Striaghtening his cloths back out and replacing his wand he walked back over to the others and sat down for the first time since entering the room without anyone knowing that he had just preformed a memory charm which is illegal for anyone but authorized Ministry personel. Seeing that the fight was over his three colleagues pocketed their own wands and conjured themselves some chairs.

"Sit down professor." Harry seemed to order as he waved a hand toward the chair the man had previously occupied. When he sat down and regarded the young man with a carefully guarded expression Harry began laying down some rules. "I noticed when I came through the door that Draco was not surprised to see me here, a little scared yes, but not surprised. I was under the impression that we agreed to keep **everything** concerning this little operation a secret, even from the rest of the Order, and yet you tell someone you know to be a Death Eater that has given you know real reason to trust him. Before we continue, is there anything else I should know? Who else have you told, even the slightest detail?"

"The only other people who have any knowledge of your operations is Alastor and he only knows the basics. Madam Bones is aware of the fact you are innocent and are still trying to fight Voldemort but, as with Alastor, she knows very little. What she does know is that your 'base' is hidden by the Fidelius charm, that is why she has requested that I beg you to allow her niece to remain here." It was only at this point that Harry seemed to notice the other occupant in the room. And judging by their reactions the others didn't notice her either.

Susan Bones looked just as she did when school let out but that was to be expected since it had been only about a month since the took the train to King's Cross Station. She was by no means fat but was slightly chubby in some areas. Her long auburn hair framed her face while her eyes were wide and regarded Harry silightly in fear. But he could not figure out if she was afraid of big bad Dark Lord Potter with the scared face or if it was because of his aurgument with Dumbledore and beating Malfoy. Harry almost growled in anoyance before he suddenly wondered why she was here. True, her aunt is the head of Magical Law Enforcement but Fudge has Madam Bones so tied up in buerocratic red tape that she has been unable to do her job properly so there was no need to use Susan to put leverage on the woman. To his knowledge niether she or her aunt are connected to the Order in any way. As if sensing his questions Dumbledore explained.

"Durning the first war Voldemort endevured to destroy all of the pureblood families that did not support him. High on that list were the Potters, Longbottoms, McKinnons, Prewetts and the Bones'. As you might imagine his temporary banishment from his body hualted his purges. A month and a half ago we learned that he seemed quite enthusiastic about finishing his work. It was for this reason that Susan and a few other were not approached to join the Order. You and your friends have been targets for a long time now so we felt you needed the extra training. But the others have not had such things to worry about so we had hoped that if they made no moves against him and posed no threat than Voldemort might leave them be for a while and give us time to make better plans. Unfortunately this was not to be. Early this morning the Bones estate was attacked by Death Eaters. Everyone got out safely and no one was injured but it brought to reality what most had been wishing was a simple nightmare. What you must understand Harry is that most witches and wizards do not care much about attacks on muggles, not because they don't like them or anything but because they were not from their world. They don't know the people that were being killed so it held no significance to them. As long as it was merely muggles being killed they could look away and deny that the uneasy peace that has been held since you were a child was no over. But now that their own are being targeted once again they can no longer look away or hide away in their own little worlds.

At the moment we do not know what kind of safty precautions will be implemented for some of the targetted families but since she and Susan are the last of the Bones family Amilia came to me for help asked me to discuss it with you." One look at both Albus and Susan and he knew he was telling the truth but the entire situation still angered him and rightfully so. Of course he had absolutely no intention of kicking her out. So he turned to Twinkle, who seemed to be guarding over the unconscious body of Draco with a look of outright disgust and anger on her face.

"Twinkle, could you please show Susan to one of the guestrooms and help her get settled in?" He asked in a polite tone that jerked the house elf out of her thoughts and caused her to jump slightly.

"Hmm... Oh yes sir Harry, Twinkle will do as she is asked." She answered as her mood seemed to brighten almost immedietely. Both Dumbledore and Susan were surprised at the elf adressing Harry by his first name but were pleased by it nonetheless. Twinkle walked across the room and levitated the trunk that was sitting on the floor beside Susan's chair and made her way out of the room with an physically and emotionally exhausted Susan right behind her. The Hufflepuff gave Harry one last curious glance before leaving. After the door was closed Harry's head snapped back to gaze once more at the Headmaster.

"It seems we must lay down a few more rules Professor." He stated matter of factly. Dumbledore merely nodded in understanding and motion for Harry to continue. "First off, I want assurances from you, Madam Bones and Moody that you will not speak of our function again without my consent as well as a secrecy charm to prevent attaining this information by force. Second, If you have some one you wish to send over here then you will send a message with Fawkes and he will bring me to your office to meet this individual. You will give them no information before hand and if I refuse to allow them to come than that will be the final word on the matter. And finally, we have something else to discuss so if you would be so kind as to head back to Hogwarts I would very much appreiciate it. And take Malfoy with you. If you don't he will be dead a moment after he wakes up."

Dumbledore had been gone for more than a half an hour by now and yet the four still sat in silence, no one knowing quite what to say. After Albus had left Snape moved all of the small tables and positioned four chairs facing each other in a square shape so that everyone could see everybody else. Harry didn't know about anyone else but the silence was driving him insane so he decided to start out with an easy question, or at least he thought it was easy.

"So why have the two of you been hiding your exhaustion? It's quite obvious that you have been doing it for sometime now." The other three started slightly at the break in silence but for a moment both girls looked as if they would refuse to answer. Blaise and Tonks looked at each other for a few moments as they tried to work up the nerve to speak. They had spoken to each other concerning their problem and knew the would eventually have to speak with Harry and Snape but they were hoping to put that off as long as possible. Unfortunately both Harry and Snape were unstoppable when it came to finding out what was wrong with those they cared about. Taking a deep breath Tonks began while she turned her eyes to the floor.

"Niether of us have slept much lately. And when we do sleep it is usually disturbed by nightmares about what happened and what probably would have happened if Harry hadn't been able to get out of his shackles in that dungeon. We have both tried dreamless sleep potion but it doesn't seem to make much difference since you can only use it once a week. We were both hoping that it was only a temporary thing and would go away quickly but it hasn't seemed to get any easier." Tonks said in a monotone voice that was absent of all emotion. Before any other questions could be asked Blasie picked up where Tonks left off, answering the biggest question Harry and Snape had.

"While we were still at Hogwarts we were able to sleep relitively well but when we moved here is when the nightmares started. At the beginning of this week I woke up early in the morning as usual but the terrified feeling I always woke up with did seem to be going away as it usually does. I was scared and paranoid of everything around me so I went to the one place I felt I could be safe. I felt that if Harry could wake up with all the injuries he had and kill twelve trained Unspeakables than he could do a lot more when he is healthy so that is where I went. I had no intention of staying in there it just happened." She continued in a pleading tone as she looked at Harry as if begging him to believe that she had no intention on 'preying' upon him. "I needed to know that someone was close by." She could take it any more and began crying. Snape was at her side in an instant to console her though he had mixed feeling about her explaination.

Despite his personal feelings towards Harry he could completely understand her reasoning and why she would feel safe around him but he was also upset that it was not him that she turned to. It hurt a great deal to see his daughter in pain and being unable to help her but Potter did. He supposed the same was true for Tonks.

"I was there for the same reason." Tonks began in a quiet voice. "Only I had been there more than just that one night." She confessed which pulled Snape's attention away from his still sobbing daughter for a moment. 'If she was there before than why did Potter act as if he did not know?' Snape thought to himself.

"It started out for me the same as it did for Blaise. Just sort of ending up there with no intention to stay, but I drifted off and actually had a decent nights sleep. The following night was the same way. So each night I would go in and make sure I was awake and back in my own bed before Harry or anyone else woke up." Tonks stopped speaking and Harry was both shocked and confused so the room reverted back into silence since Snape was still trying to comfort Blaise. As much as he tried Harry just couldn't understand it. Not only the fact that these to strong willed women recieved comfort form him but also that one of those women was shareing his bed for a whole week and he didn't even know. Harry will freely admit that he knows absolutely nothing about dealing with emotions and such, after all he didn't exactly much experience in such matters with the Dursley's, but this was completely over his head. He of course had heard of people's troubles after trumatic experiences, after all had been there, but as said before, being raised by family that dispised you gave you very little comfort in those times. So he was forced to keep everything inside with no way to express your feelings. Thinking for several minutes Harry came to a solution that he hoped would both help Tonks and Blaise feel more comfortable and allow him to keep his privacy.

After asking the opinion of the others it was desided that the two would be moved up to the third floor into the two rooms on either side of Harry's. The two were slightly smaller than Harry's own room and were connected by two seprete doorways that could allow the two entrance with out going into the hall or could be left open if it gave them a better feeling of security. Once again Snape was not all that happy about Blaise looking to Harry for protection but it was his daughter's health they were talking about and he would go along with or do anything that would make her feel better. Tonks left shortly afterwards to go rest while Snape escorted Blaise to her new room after asking a house elf the have the two witches belongings moved. He was walking out of the room with an arm drapped over Blaise's shoulder whn he turned back slightly.

"Potter, I insist we begin training with the mind sphere as soon as possible. And OUR discussion on the sleeping arrangements is not finished. You will meet me back in this study following dinner tonight." With that said he promptly departed. Even though he had to spend the time with Snape of all people and argue about his daughter slipping into his room Harry was still greatly looking forward to learning legilimency even though he probably will not enjoy some of the things he will see in the man's mind. Harry remained in the study thinking for a few more minutes before heading to the kitchen for something to eat. When he entered the kitchen he was a bit surprised to see both Twinkle and Susan behind the burning stove and no one could ignore the aroma that was circulating through the room. Both seemed to be having a good time and that was a good sign. Though it did not fit the girl's personality Harry was afraid that Susan was be short tempered with everyone at the idea of being locked up away from the rest of the world.

"What's going on?" Harry asked calmly as he strolled into the room. It was quite obvious that they were cooking but the vast majority of the time you could not get a house elf to allow you to help in their work. He learned that quite soon after arriving in his parent's old house. Susan seemed to be a little startled at Harry's unexpected arrival but Twinkle turned and looked down right delighted as she bounced up to Harry with a large smile on her face.

"Harry, Harry, Mistress Susan is teaching Twinkle a new recipe." She squealed in excitement. Harry smiled at the excited elf and approached the stove curious about what they were making. Susan seemed to recoil a little bit as he approached but she did not leave. When Harry looked intot he pans he brock out into a smile.

"Ah yes, Pompano Montmorency." He said out loud with a smile on his face as he looked at the fish fillets, fruit juices and brandy. Susan almost instantly lost all traces of intimidation and just looked shocked.

"How did you know that?"

"I have done my fair share of cooking in my life. Infact I wouldn't be surprised if I were the best gourmet chef in Surry by the time I was eight years old." He told the two a little smugly.

"Why did you not tell me of this?" Twinkle squeaked. She simply hated not knowing how to cook something.

"Because you never let me get anywhere near the stove. Oh by the way, you can bring the flavor out much better if you use cherries instead of raspberries." He chuckled at their open mouthed expressions before ducking out the door when something struck him. He had forgotten about the snake. He had told Snape and Bill to bring it with them from Borgin and Burkes but he had yet had the oppertunity to speak with it. That was something he intended to do right then, as soon as he found someone that could tell him where it was.

TBC


	12. A Trip to Hogwarts

**AN:** Sorry for the delay but when time for Book six to come out got closer I decided to wait and see what happened then decided if I wanted to either just stop this story or even rewrite it to take the new book into account. But after reading I decided to continue this story as is. Of the six HP books I think Half Blood Prince is the best and I love they way it ended but right now I like the direction this story is going and if I were to rewrite it as a seventh year fic it would take away a lot of the events I have in mind.

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr23**

**Chapter Twelve: A trip to Hogwarts **

After Leaving Twinkle and Susan to their cooking Harry went to search for the snake that had been found in Borgin and Burkes. After searching many rooms and questioning quite a few people he came across Snape who had just returned downstairs after making sure that Blaise was settled into her new room. When asked about the reptile he wasted no time telling Harry that he had killed it just shortly after arriving back to the house. Apparently Blaise had spoken with it briefly after she was stunned during the fighting and her portkey kicked in and the snake was most definitely allied with Voldemort. Snakes, unlike people, never waver after they declare their loyalty so there was no hope for gaining her allegiance or any information. Harry was disappointed at first until he learned that Snape only killed the creature after it attempted to bite Blasie. A bite that would have surely resulted in her death.

After dinner that night Harry decided that he should sit down and talk to Susan to see how much Dumbledore had told her and decided what should be done with her because he would be damned if he was going to keep her locked up like some prisoner against her will. When they had both finished eating he led her into a small cozy sitting room to talk. Her obvious fear of him did not go unnoticed and he quickly found out why. When asked what she had been told about their current situation she replied with one word. Nothing.

Needless to say Harry was pissed. That old fool Dumbledore felt the need to explain everything to a person he knew to be a Death Eater yet he brings an innocent teenage girl to stay with a group of 'murders' without so much as a simple explanation. No wonder the girl shrank back every time Harry was near. Harry spent a few minutes cursing Dumbledore's name with some very colorful language that left Susan red faced. She thought that he had even made up a few words of his own. After taking a few calming breaths Harry decided to do this a thoroughly as possible and asked Twinkle to bring in some Veritaserum which she did gladly. Harry told Susan to ask any questions she wanted as long as they didn't involve his personal life. Needless to say she was convinced that she was in no danger after nearly fifteen minutes of questioning.

"Now we have to decide what you are going to do while you are here." Harry began after the effects of the truth potion wore off.

"What do you mean?" The Hufflepuff asked in confusion.

"Well you can't very well sit around and do nothing all day. A person would go insane locked up in here with nothing to do, especially since we don't know how long you will be here."

"Well why can't I help you?" She asked after thinking for a few minutes. Harry, for his part said nothing, just stared at her for sometime before speaking.

"You are here because Voldemort has some twisted grudge against your family. You're Aunt and Dumbledore has trusted us with your safety so tell me why I should place you into a situation where your life would be in danger?"

"You're in the same situation that I am in so why is there any difference?" She snapped back.

"The difference is that most people here are adults and skilled fighters. Blasie has her parent's permission to do this while my relatives couldn't care less if I lived or died. But the biggest difference is that Snape, Tonks, Blasie and I are not only wanted by Voldemort but also the Ministry. We have no choice but to do things this way and that means taking certain risks. So why should I allow you to place yourself in danger against your Aunt's wishes?"

"Like you said, you don't know how long I will be here, and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit around here for months on end and do nothing while those madmen is out killing other people." She nearly screamed as she stood up from her chair swiftly. "If I can help stop at least some of the Death Eaters then I AM going to do it." She seethed as Harry just regarded her with an expressionless face. His silence was really beginning to piss her off and she was working herself into one hell of a temper when Harry suddenly cut her off.

"You will join Blasie and me in our dueling training with Bill Weasley every afternoon. You will not leave this house until he believes that you can handle yourself well in a fight. Every evening you spend time with Mundungus Fletcher who will teach you some less respectable skills you will no doubt find useful. I suggest you also acquaint yourself with Snape as soon as possible because when you are allowed to leave for whatever reason you will be paired with either him or Bill. They are two of the best fighters we have and at no time will you leave their side and you will do exactly what they tell you. If we are involved in a fight and someone orders you to activate your portkey and get away, you will do so without hesitation. It would be wise to spend your free time either researching and practicing different spells or working out in the gym to enhance your strength, stamina and flexibility. Those are my terms. You will either except them all and act upon them or you will remain here. Do you except my terms?"

"Yes." She answered without hesitation and Harry mentally grinned. Of all the qualities of the different houses of Hogwarts he admired the fact that Hufflepuffs had very little fear of hard work the most

"Twinkle!" An instant later the loyal house elf appeared at Harry's side. "Would you please show Susan where the gym and library is? And can you see about getting her some cloths to work out in." Twinkle nodded and Harry turned back to Susan. "I believe Bill is in the gym now, I suggest you speak to him about what your training will consist of." Susan merely nodded before following twinkle out of the room. Harry was preparing to leave himself when Fawkes arrived in a sudden burst of flames. Taking the note off of his offered leg, Harry thanked the phoenix before sitting back down to read whatever Dumbledore wanted. Several times he growled out loud as the old headmaster apologized several times for allowing Draco Malfoy to have information that should never have been spoken to anyone in the first place. Harry allowed himself a slight smile when he read that his memory charm had apparently been more powerful than usual, probably because of his intense anger at the time, and Draco had lost the memory of not only the last hour as he had intended but of the last three. Dumbledore obviously had one of his moments of wisdom when he decided to simply send him back to Malfoy Manor instead of pushing to 'rehabilitate' him.

After the very lengthy apology he included a few small bits of information, none of which Harry found very interesting, that is until he read that there would be a mass Order meeting at Hogwarts in a few days time. Slowly a large grin began to spread across his face as a plan began to form in his head. He quickly stood and walked out of the room, he would need to speak with Snape and Tonks about this one.

It had been over a week since 'Potter's Raiders' had ransacked Borgin and Burkes and three other shops in Knockturn Ally now shared it's fate. But unlike that first raid the others met no resistance from the Aurors. Minister Fudge was having the time of his life giving speech after speech about how dangerous Harry Potter had become but the general public was raising hell at the obvious lack of progress in either capturing or eliminating even one of his 'followers'. Most people now viewed Harry in much the same light as Voldemort and fear was beginning too spread. The only thing that kept that fear from becoming out right panic was the fact that he had not yet attacked anyone other than those that followed the dark arts.

Professor Dumbledore was currently sitting at the head table in the Great Hall of Hogwarts rubbing his temples trying to fight off the headache that was beginning to take hold. For the first time this summer they were holding a meeting with every member of the Order and everyone was trying to voice their opinions at the same time, refusing to even listen to anyone that did not share their views. Like the new hierarchy the rest of the Order was also divided in their belief of Harry's intentions and those that supported him were in the minority.

"SILENCE!" The headmaster and leader of the Order shouted out in frustration. The effect was instant and silence was the only response. If the situation wasn't so serious he probably would have found it amusing that he had the same effect on a room full of the most powerful wizards in England as he did on a roomful of ruckus students.

"Now, I have made no secret of my beliefs in this matter but I cannot and will not try to force them on any of you. But since this has so obviously torn the loyalties of the Order it is something that must be addressed. So I propose this. You will each select someone to speak for you and we will have a small debate. They will each address their beliefs and concerns and show evidence that supports them. We will have no speculations or theories, only facts. Afterwards that will be the end of it. I want no more fighting amongst ourselves. If Mr. Potter proves to be a threat to us in the future we will face it as we have faced the threat of Voldemort. Choose your speakers now!" Dumbledore finished before retaking his seat as both 'factions' of the Order began to speak amongst themselves. Ten minutes later the choices had been made and Professor McGonagall stood as the representative of those who believed in the missing Order members' innocence.

"As Albus has instructed, I will merely point out the facts. Severus, Mr. Potter, Ms. Zabini and Ms. Tonks all vanished only to reappear nearly a week later after Mr. Potter killed twelve Unspeakables. Those are the only details everybody will agree on. However there are many more that everyone else seems to want to forget. The fact that everyone of them was treated for exposure to the Cruciatus Curse and both Severus and Mr. Potter had obviously been tortured quite severely has been forgotten. The Ministry and many within this room will have us all believe that they left of their own free will to either join You-Know-Who or possibly form their own group with Mr. Potter as some new Dark Lord. They wish us all to agree that they attacked and killed those Unspeakables in cold blood but Minister Fudge refuses to allow ANYONE, even Albus or Geoffrey Stevens, the head of the Department of Mysteries, see or even question the only Unspeakable that survived.

Also, Minister Fudge has told the press that these 'innocent' men were defeated by Potter's use of the dark arts. But as we know Mr. Potter's wand was found at the scene by a team of Aurors and after testing it they found that no dark magic whatsoever had been used. A fact that the Ministry has repressed. Another fact they refuse to release was that the wands of the Unspeakables were also tested. Nearly everyone of them had used a great deal of dark magic, some even recently casting each of the Unforgivables numerous times.

Now I will get to more recent events." She stopped for a moment to collect herself again and Albus took the time to look over the faces of those that stood against Harry. He was pleased to see that though they sided against their fellow Order members a few among them clearly had their doubts. However, sadly he could tell that the vast majority of them obviously had no intention at all of even paying attention to anyone that did not share their point of view. As his eyes moved across the room they suddenly stopped on 'Mad Eye' Moody. The man appeared to not be paying attention to what his colleague was saying but instead was looking towards the back of the hall with a wide grin on his scarred face. Intrigued, the Headmaster followed his gaze and his eyes instantly went wide. He stared for what felt like an eternity until Professor McGonagall's words broke through his racing thoughts.

"This past week Mr. Potter's group, called Potter's Raiders by the Ministry, has raided several shops in Knockturn Ally and removed an unknown number of dark objects from several hidden chambers within the various shops. Both the Ministry and the Order have known for some time that such hidden items existed yet, sadly, neither have had the nerve to go after them for fear of retribution from the Death Eaters. The one time this group, now joined by Mundungus Fletcher and several others, were faced with opposition from the Aurors they restricted themselves to simple and non-lethal curses and despite being vastly out numbered for most of the fight they continued to prevent seriously harming their opponents. Some," She continued as she shot a dark look at Kingsley Shacklebolt. "Have been saying that they restricted themselves to such curses because Mr. Potter was using this raid as an opportunity to help train his fighters. Anyone with any common sense could see how utterly ridiculous such an excuse is. The Aurors were out classed by people that were holding back. From their own testimony the Aurors admit that Mr. Potter could have had them killed at any time, so why didn't he? It is clear that if they needed to 'practice' or 'train' as Kingsley has claimed then they would be better served to practice amongst themselves where they could get a proper challenge. The only reason for not harming them was simply because the Aurors, although trying to arrest them, are not their enemies. Now, with the exception of my last statement everything I have said is cold fact. If it were anybody else Fudge would not have over ruled the Department of Mysteries and placed the investigation in the hands of his own administration. And who did he choose to lead this investigation? Deloris Umbridge. I am sure that each and every one of you know of the hatred and animosity that both Umbridge and Fudge share for Mr. Potter. Fudge has already ordered that there will be no trial. I think that in of itself should raise serious questions regarding the Minister's motives." After saying this the transfiguration professor sat back down and spoke silently to Molly Weasley who was sitting beside her.

As silenced reined through out the room Dumbledore stole another glance at the two figures standing in the back of the hall. The man was leaning casually against the back wall and looking thoroughly bored while the young woman looked a little worried and a bit shocked at the argument currently holding the Order's attention. Albus had to hold in a chuckle as the man stifled a yawn as he shook himself as if he needed to fight to stay awake. 'What audacity.' He thought to himself as the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. In an attempt to contain his amusement he refocused his attention back on the Order members present, or more specifically Hermione Granger who had been chosen to speak as well. The old man felt a great deal of sadness at her attitude lately. Though she spoke out against Harry he could tell that she had begun to have her doubts, but the raids in Knockturn Ally seemed to have strengthened her belief in his guilt. It was obvious that she was chosen to speak because she was one of Harry's best friends and if she believed him guilty then it must be true. Despite his order that there was to be no speculation or theories it seemed that was all that she put forward. After all there were very few if any facts that proved Harry to be a cold blooded killer. With a sigh he turned back to her ramblings and was about to put a stop to her unfounded not to mention ridiculous theories when she finally said something that caught his attention.

"If Harry truly was innocent then why did he run away?" Dumbledore and several others snorted at this ridiculous question considering Harry was unconscious when he had been 'taken' from Hogwarts. "There would be absolutely no reason to hide from the rest of the Order unless he were doing things that the wizarding community would not permit if they were aware of them."

"And why does the Order hide it's actions from the wizarding community as well?" Everyone present spun around in their seats at the sudden appearance of a very familiar voice. "After all it was not that long ago that members of the Order were speaking of kidnapping." Everyone's eyes and a number of wands shifted around nervously looking for the source of the voice when the man began to chuckle. "Here, let me help you out." And with that the man dropped his invisibility charm to reveal the smirking face of Harry Potter. He was wearing the same heavy rust colored robes he had worn on his raids in Knockturn Ally though both Moody and Dumbledore could see through the concealment charms that hid what they truly were. Most of those present had not seen him since before he 'went missing' and so they were deeply shocked to see how severely his face was scarred. While most within the hall were frozen with shock Moody almost seemed to nod in approval at the fact that he still used the scarf to cover his right eye despite it's new magical replacement. After all you were at an advantage if someone were to seriously underestimate you.

A select few had been able to shake off their shock and jumped to their feet and began shooting curses in rapid secession. Harry however simply stood there and ignored the curses until they impacted heavily on a shield that seemed to cover the entire back wall of the Great Hall, including the doors. Everyone, including Dumbledore, was shocked that not a single curse got through but a few pulled themselves together and tried again with the same result.

"As you can see I could start throwing any curse I like right now and there is nothing any of you could do to stop me so you might as well put your wands away." Harry said with a grin. Of course his shield was very powerful but it also prevented him from attacking as well but they didn't need to know that little detail. Despite his words though no one put their wands away and some even continued attempting to get through his defenses. "Suit yourselves then. Now to answer Hermione's question, I didn't 'run away' as she put it. I was unconscious at the time and remained so until two days after I was 'taken' from Hogwarts. Also to the question of why I would avoid the rest of the Order, the greeting I just received would be enough to keep anyone away. I have no use for friends or allies that would turn on me because of the word of Cornilius Fudge."

"Potter you..."

"Hermione, every time you open you mouth these days you IQ seems to drop several points so why don't you do yourself a favor and keep quite for once." Harry cut her off quickly because he had no desire to even look at her much less speak to her. Despite the situation many around the Great Hall had to force themselves not to chuckle at the look on Hermione's face.

"Harry, may I ask why you are here?" Dumbledore asked kindly though he was deeply confused and even a little worried that he may be caught.

"I have a few sources that informed me of this meeting and I decided that I wanted to hear for myself what pathetic arguments my so called friends were making against me. And I must say that I am very disappointed. I would have thought that they could come up with something more intelligent but I guess my expectations were set just a bit to high. Speaking of which, Professor," He said while turning to Professor McGonagall. "Great speech. You covered all the bases, presented all the facts and even pointed out the flaws in the opposing argument. Great to see someone here is still using their intellect. Ten points to Gryffindor. Good job." He praised while giving her a thumbs up.

"Harry..."

"Sorry Headmaster I'm getting off track. I would like to point out the most obvious fact that McGonagall made and expand upon it. And that is the fact that IF caught myself and my esteemed colleagues will not receive a trial, which is in itself against the law but since when has our honorable Minister of Magic cared about such things. If found we will all be given the Dementor's Kiss immediately. To those of you who don't remember, Fudge had the same thing done to Barty Crouch at the end of the Tri-Wizard tournament to get rid of the only witness that knew of Voldemort's entire plan to have me taken from the Hogwarts grounds for his rebirth ritual. As a result he was able to deny his return for an entire year while calling me and Dumbledore liars. Now he wants to get rid of me and the others just as quickly. I find it curious that Fudge is trying his hardest to prevent the only five people alive that know, first hand, what took place to talk about it. Myself and my friends will basically be put to death without a chance for a fair trial and the one surviving Unspeakable is currently being hidden away. Who knows, he himself might very well be dead."

"Are you suggesting that Minister Fudge would kill someone just to make you look bad?" Kingsley shouted as he jumped to his feet. He had no love for the Minister but he found the accusation insulting.

"Are you deaf and blind? He's already done it before. He had Crouch Kissed just to shut him up what makes you think he wouldn't do it to someone else? Fudge and that fat bitch Umbridge even tried to have Dumbledore arrested last year to get him out of the way. What makes you think he wouldn't do it to someone else?"

"Well for someone who claims they haven't gone dark you certainly seem to be spending a lot of time in Knockturn Ally lately." Kingsley sneered in a very Snape like manner.

"What we have done in Knockturn Ally is nothing more than what the Ministry should have done years ago. You and the Ministry may be afraid to provoke Voldemort by going after his supplies but I am not. Besides, it proves for very useful study material." He commented in an off hand manner and those that were against him seemed to think this was a confession of quilt.

"So now you admit to studying the Dark Arts?" Harry sighed in aggravation but when he felt someone nudge his left shoulder he suddenly got an idea.

"Well since you seem so confidant Kingsley I'm going to lower my shield and we will have a demonstration." In one fluid movement he removed his wand from his robes and with a flick of his wrist and a softly spoken word the crowd before him could see his shield dissolve. Many of those present, led by Kingsley, took the opportunity to renew their attack but were shocked once again when each of their curses were either deflected or bounced harmlessly off of his robes. Everyone sat stone still as they stared at Harry wondering how he had avoided so many without even moving. Their questions were answered when four other figures seemed to appear out of no where as they removed their own invisibility charms. Standing at Harry's side was Snape, Blaise and two other figures that had their hoods up and faces concealed. They were all wearing the same robes as Harry and the looks on Snape's and Blaise's faces seemed to make everyone nervous.

"Now that you got that out of your system I would like to point out that, as I'm sure Kingsley has already informed you, our portkeys will activate on it's own if we our seriously wounded or stunned and they can pass through any anti-portkey wards so you might as well not bother trying to capture us, you will fail. Now we can proceed with our demonstration." He explained as if he were lecturing to a bunch of first years before he stepped forward away from his colleagues.

"Kingsley, you are the most senior active Auror in the Order and are a very accomplished duelist so if you would step forward?" Harry asked in a polite tone while those behind him smirked at the Auror. Kingsley of course sure as hell wouldn't be shown up by a mere boy so he quickly stepped forward and raised his wand. Quick as lightening Harry snapped up his wand and shot a bright orange curse at his opponent before lowering his arm again. The Auror cast a quick shield charm and was preparing to retaliate when to his shock and the shock of most of those present Harry's spell shattered his shield and slammed into the man's chest sending him flying to the floor where he lay motionless. Seeing Kingsley beaten so easily surprised everyone present so much that no one could even think straight enough to raise their own wands in case they themselves were attacked.

"Now as you can see despite his skill and experience he is now flat on his back. Can anyone tell me why?" Harry continued with his lecture type voice as if he had not just attacked a fairly powerful wizard at the same time he stepped back and raised his shield again. "No one? The reason is simple. The curse I used is a little known Dark Arts stunning spell. It is similar to a regular stunner except it will knock you out for at least three hours and will leave you with a killer headache. It moves a great deal faster than your normal stunner will pass through most of your standard shield charms. Now can any of you explain to me why Kingsley apparently did not know this?"

"That's the Dark Arts, Kingsley doesn't use those." Hermione shouted as if she felt the need to defend the unconscious man from any implication that he may have any thing to do with such 'evil magic'.

"Almost but no." He answered while ignoring her tone. "It is not that he doesn't use the Dark Arts but rather the fact that he knows next to nothing about the Dark Arts. He wasn't old enough to be an Auror during Voldemort's first war so he and most of you has had little experience with those that use a great deal of these curses in a duel. And here is the million galleon question. If he does not know the Dark Arts how can he defend against them? With the exception of Dumbledore and certainly Moody over there, none of you know the first thing about such curses. True, you know the basics that you learned while in school but that will do you absolutely no good when someone is throwing a bunch of unknown curses at you. Most of the wizarding world is so self righteous and swelled up in their own self importance that they think that everyone that knows the Dark Arts is evil and to study them would corrupt you and turn you into a Death Eater. I find such beliefs rather pathetic.

While the Ministry is doing nothing more than sitting on their asses and the Order is doing nothing but bickering we are actually getting some work done. And to do that work we must understand what we are fighting. 'Know thine enemy' I believe the quote is. But now I'm afraid our time together draws to a close so I will leave you 'noble' people to your petty arguing but in the mean time we have work to do so I bid you good day. Oh, one last interesting fact. Last time Voldemort was trying to seize power he and his Death Eaters were outnumbered at least twenty to one and yet he was still winning. In fact, the Ministry was on the verge of collapse when he killed my parents and was subsequently defeated. Could it be the so called 'Light Side's' ignorance of the Dark Arts that had them at such an overpowering disadvantage?" He finished with a smile before turning around to leave the Great Hall but was stopped by the voice of Albus Dumbledore.

"Harry, before you leave, may I inquire as to what are in those?" He asked while pointing to the three trunks sitting on the floor just outside the door. Harry looked at the trunks as if he had no idea what the man was talking about before turning back to him with an innocent expression on his face.

"Um, souvenirs." He grinned before reaching out to grab at something that didn't appear to be there and they all activated their portkeys and vanished. Everyone continued to stare at the spot Harry had previously stood with a mixture of emotions such as confusion, fear, anger and amusement. They were pulled out of their thoughts however when a frantic Madam Pince ran into the Hall. Dumbledore sat down and let out an audible sigh. Just by the look on the school librarian's face he knew what was wrong. Harry had merely been distracting them while his 'raiders' had a free hand all over the castle. Adding Hogwarts to his ever growing list of targets certainly wasn't going to win him any support from the community and it was sure to bring up questions of Hogwarts' security. After all, if a 'blood thirsty murderer' like Harry Potter can slip into the school under the nose of Albus Dumbledore than what is to prevent him from doing the same thing when the castle is full of students.

When Harry and his small group reappeared in the entry hall of Potter Manor he was greeted by the rather smug face of Tonks while Mundungus' friend John looked very put out. After shaking off the usual effects of portkey travel he seemed to let go of something and a moment later Susan Bones stripped off Harry's invisibility cloak that he had loaned her for the evening. After handing it back to Harry she help Blaise and a few others take their trunks of 'souvenirs' up the stairs while Snape left quickly, presumably to the potions lab.

"So how did it go?" He asked as he turned towards the pink haired former Auror. As an answer her smug grin became even larger before she reached behind her back and pulled out a very familiar wand. Seeing it, Harry's eyes went wide.

"Where the hell did you find that?" He asked as he took the offered wand from her hand.

"It was in Fudge's office. Apparently he took great pleasure in displaying it on his desk like some kind of trophy." Harry just nodded dumbly for a moment as he ran his fingers over his first wand before her words seemed to have registered at which time his head shot back up and his eyes narrowed.

"Why were you in Fudge's office? Nothing went wrong did it?" He asked worriedly.

"No everything turned out all right. Fudge's office is right next to Stevens' so I thought that as long as we were there I might as well poke around for anything else that might be useful. Unfortunately I hadn't gotten very far before a few guards decided to interrupt."

"Ah, I take it that is why you aren't looking very happy?" Harry asked as he looked towards the scowling thief. The man just growled in annoyance and stalked away leaving Tonks laughing uncontrollably and Harry confused.

"It wasn't the guards, it was Stevens. For an old man he has some quickness in him. John was hit by about a half dozen curses the moment we walked through the door so he has been a bit sulky. We have him locked up down stairs right now."

"Good, has Dung returned yet?"

"No but he sent Bill back a few minutes ago to say that they will be a little longer. Apparently they found a few other things that they didn't want to leave behind. Don't ask me what because Bill wouldn't tell me." She added quickly when Harry was about to ask what they would risk staying in the headquarters of the Order for when they had plenty of time to finish what they had been sent there to do.

"Potter!" Snape shouted as he returned with a vial clutched in his hand. "Since we seem to have moved up from thievery to kidnapping high ranking Ministry officials I suggest we get on with this." He snapped as he stalked back out of the room. Harry and Tonks watched him with some amusement for a moment before Harry turned to her with a grin.

"Well, shall we join him my dear?" He asked with a mischievous grin as he held out his arm. He was rewarded with a grin almost as big as his own.

"Lets." She answered as she took his arm and the two followed after the rather surly potions master. Maybe now they would find out just how far the Death Eaters had penetrated into the Department of Mysteries.

TBC


	13. Interrogations and Returns

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By **

**Padfootjr23**

**Chapter Thirteen: Interrogations and Returns **

Deep within the Cardamom Mountains in western Cambodia a lone man stood outside a rather large and luxurious cabin and looked down at the valley below with a newspaper clutched in his hand. He had a very distant look in his blue eyes and anyone who knew him could tell he was doing some serious thinking. He had traveled nearly half way around the world and had lived in these mountains for most of his adult life in the hopes of keeping his family safe. When looking for a safe place to hide Cambodia would certainly not be the first place one would think of, or the second or third for that matter. But that is precisely why he chose it. Complex shields and wards established by his wife made sure that they would go unnoticed and protected. They rarely left their mountain hideaway and the few times they did they took every precaution.

Even in their isolation his family had lived happily and without care. He and his wife instructed their three children extensively and he couldn't have been prouder of their progress. Unfortunately the tranquility was not to last. He had just returned from one of his rare trips to the wizarding district of the capital city of Phnom Penh where he had learned some disturbing news. With a heavy sigh he turned around and slowly walked into his home to speak with his wife.

"What's wrong?" He winced as his wife asked as soon as he walked through the door. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried he could never hide his true feelings from her. Without a word he handed her the newspaper and she responded by simply looking at him in confusion. After a moment of tense silence she took the paper and unfolded it in an attempt to find out what had caused her normally stoic husband to become so agitated. She was surprised to see that it was an old copy of the Daily Prophet, probably thrown away by some Member of the Cambodian Ministry. She quickly discovered why he looked so nervous. After reading the primary articles and skimming through the rest in the hopes of finding more information she dropped the paper and looked up with wide eyes.

"He hasn't been defeated yet?" She asked in a quiet voice as she looked out the back window to where her children were playing in the back yard.

"Apparently not! From the way the articles were written it seems that something happened to keep him at bay for awhile but he is now back at full strength." He paused for a moment to work up the courage to speak his mind. He loved her dearly but his wife had a serious temper and if you said something to infuriate her you better watch out. Taking a deep breath, he decided to just come right out and say it.

"We have to go back!"

Harry and Tonks were on their way down to the 'holding cells' to interrogate Geoffrey Stevens, Head of the Department of Mysteries, when Twinkle suddenly 'popped' in beside him. Having gotten used to her sudden appearances, Harry barely showed any sign of surprise, though he did flinch slightly. Tonks on the other hand was not as composed. Jumping back quickly she was able to completely cover up the soft shriek that passed her lips and went tumbling down on to her backside when she collided with the small table that was placed next to the staircase. Immediately Harry lost control and burst into a fit of laughter and was forced to hold his side tightly as pain coursed through his muscles from their 'work out'. Twinkle was more composed than her master and her face was set in a neutral expression though if you were to look close enough you could clearly see amusement shining in her eyes. Tonks evidently didn't find it nearly as funny as she glared up at the House Elf and Harry before climbing back to her feet.

"What was it you needed?" Harry asked the elf after calming down enough to speak.

"The post has arrived and I thought that you would be wanting to receive this letter promptly. The rest I left in your office since they carry no significant importance." She explained as she handed the letter over and looked at him nervously, afraid that she may have assumed too much. Looking at the expensive parchment the envelope was made of he turned it over to reveal the crest of the Gringotts bank. Looking down he smiled and thanked Twinkle for bringing the letter to him before he opened it. His forehead creased in confusion when he read the first two words but other than that he showed no reactions that would give Tonks any insight into what the letter had said.

_Lord Potter_

_As per your instructions a full list of your holdings is enclosed along with the names of various accountants that have been dealing with your interests in the Muggle World. With your blood sample that you sent last night the wards surrounding the Potter family vault have been changed to accept your magical signature and yours alone. As of now you are the legal head of the Potter family and are able to use the title of Lord Potter that has been passed down since one of your ancestors abandoned the name of Gryffindor to protect his family from the dangers that the name brought. Since you are now the legal head of the Potter family the Ministry's laws of age restriction to family vaults will no longer hinder you. _

_Within the envelope you will find a small round stone that will act as a portkey to allow you access to your vault without having to travel through Diagon Ally and avoid prying eyes. However, to grant another access to your vault would require you to appear in person since the portkey will only work for you and will not carry more than one person._

_Since your family vault has been out of use for many years now you do not have a manager that has much knowledge of all of your current holdings but one of our brightest is as of now familiarizing himself with them. After looking through your assets if you have any questions please relay them to Shuantis Griphook, who will personally manage your accounts. _

_On a final note, your presence is required at our main branch in London for the reading of the Last Will and Testament of Sirius Octavian Black. You have been named as one of the primary beneficiaries and failure to attend would forfeit your rightful claim and it would pass to Mr. Black's closest living relation, I believe that would be Narcissa Malfoy. The Will shall be read in a private conference room at 11:00 am on the 30th of this month._

_Sincerely _

_ Draas Bullgluk _

_Gringotts Managing Partner_

Harry quickly squashed the annoyance of yet another title as he passed the letter to Tonks while he continued on to page through the various parchments that outlined his family's holdings. Quickly scanning through the facts and figures that he didn't understand he turned immediately to the monetary value. His eyes went wide at the sheer volume that his vault seemed to hold and he couldn't help but wonder where it all had come from. After all, people didn't usually have over two hundred million galleons just lying around. Looking from page to page he could see that over the years many branches of the Potter family that were killed off until only Christopher Potter and his son James remained.

"When did you send them a blood sample?" Harry's head shot up at the sound of Tonks' voice. Seeing the family he never knew wiped out on paper he had completely forgotten that he was not alone. It took a few moments but he was finally able to comprehend her words.

"Oh, I wrote him a letter a few days ago and I received his reply yesterday. He needed a blood sample to reset the wards around the vault so I sent it off to him immediately." He answered absently as he pushed the thoughts of a faceless family to the back of his mind before his eyes lit up and his smile returned. "Oh yes, we have a politician to interrogate." Tonks seemed to share his enthusiasm and the two, accompanied by Twinkle, went to meet Snape.

Geoffrey Stevens was beginning to wake up but the moment he recognized this fact he wished he hadn't. His entire body was painfully stiff and he was sporting numerous bruises and a few rather nasty cuts. After a moment he tried to move slightly only to find that his arms and legs had been tightly restrained against the sides of the chair he was currently sitting in. Suddenly the memories of his 'encounter' with two members of the 'Raiders' came back to him. If he were not bound in an unknown room with an unknown number of guards around him he would have groaned loudly at his mistakes during that engagement.

_Thanks to the fact that his office door was transparent on the inside he saw to colleagues approach from down the hall. This was a normal occurrence since the offices of the Ministries top officials were all on that floor but the only thing odd about it was that one of these 'colleagues' was the spiting image of him. After shaking off his shock he figure it must have been a Death Eater under the effects of the Polyjuice Potion in an attempt to access his office and possibly lay a trap for him or more than likely he was their immediate target and they were simply using his image to give them a reason to be in the area. Surprisingly the two didn't even pause at the door; they merely walked in as if they owned the place. Then again with one disguised as him it would have looked odd if he stopped at his own door. He had to admit, from a critical view of course, that they pulled if off flawlessly. But that certainly didn't stop him from showering them with curses the moment they walked through his door._

_Unfortunately the first one though took the brunt of the assault giving his look a like time to take cover. When they showed themselves again he was surprised to see not his face looking back but the face of a known metamorphmagus, Nymphadora Tonks. He of course was quite surprised that he appeared to be a target of Harry Potter. It certainly gave a healthy jump to one's ego. As if on silent agreement the two stood, leaving their protective covers behind, and began their duel. He, naturally, had been a highly trained Unspeakable and took great pride in the fact that unlike most department heads he was not some second rate political appointee who had no idea what they were doing. He may be a bit on the elderly side but he could still hold his own._

_Miss Tonks however didn't seem to be nearly as clumsy as her reputation would suggest however and he needed a good deal of his concentration solely on her. Almost as an afterthought he sent a quick stunning spell towards the prone figure by the door to make sure that he wouldn't be interrupting. As the fight continued he began admiring her ability and thought that maybe he should try to recruit her before he remembered who she was and why she was there. All things considered he was rather enjoying himself, it had been sometime since he last got a workout and he found it a bit refreshing._

_Tonks on the other hand was really beginning to get annoyed. Everything she tried was either dodged of blocked quite easily. The two were going toe to toe for almost five minutes now and she knew she had to end it soon or she would end up tripping over some table and breaking her neck. While she is prone to bouts of clumsiness all day long if you put her in a fight she could be as graceful as a swan, that is if it doesn't run to long and she looses her concentration. Watching him skillfully sidestep two more of her curses she suddenly had an idea. From what she could tell the man wasn't really taking this fight seriously so if she could just throw him off his guard a bit…_

_"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Stevens' eyes went wide and his body went stiff when he heard these words. Normally they would not have fazed him in the slightest but he never expected that curse to come from the former Auror. Shaking off his shock he quickly dove out of the way only to be hit by a stunning charm that was cast just a brief moment after the killing curse. He had been suckered in._

Stevens sat still with his head down as he silently berated himself for falling for such an obvious trick. He had the advantage in knowledge, skill and experience and yet his own overconfidence showed itself to be an enemy. He should have ended the duel at any number of occasions that he had the opportunity but no, he just had to have his fun and where did it get him. Blindfolded and tied to a chair.

"Glad you could join us Potter." Snape sneered as Harry and Tonks descended stairs that led too the potions lab and holding cells. Harry just rolled his eyes before walking passed his former professor intent on immediately questioning their prisoner. "Potter, wait!" Snape called out before he could walk through the door. Harry turned back to the man with an annoyed look on his face. For his part, the Potions Master was surprised that the young man had not snapped back but instead appeared to merely be waiting to hear what the man had to say.

"Before we begin to question Stevens you must understand that the questioning itself may turn out to be a waste of time."

"The man is the head of the Department of Mysteries, how could it be a waste of time?" Harry asked in confusion and annoyance.

"Because Potter, unlike most Ministry heads he is not a politician. He spent the majority of his career as a top level Unspeakable." Snape growled in irritation when everyone looked at him as if they had no idea what he was getting at. "Unspeakables are trained to fight against many forms of mind control and are required to master Occlumency. As a master Occlumans it is a certainty that he can fight the effects enough to be able to remember every question we ask. It is also possible, though unlikely, that he could manipulate his answers." He explained.

"And you're just now mentioning because?" Tonks asked.

"Because even if the potion has no effect at all we can still use the fact that he's here to our advantage. If it works we will get some answers and some valuable information. But if it doesn't and we do this right we could have a powerful ally in the Ministry." After a few minutes discussion it was decided that even if the man was not a Voldemort supporter it would still be to dangerous to allow the man to much information about their operations. They instead agreed that the best course would be to try to 'inadvertently' peak the man's curiosity and suspicions enough to drive him to seek out the truth for himself.

For the sake of safety, when they entered the room those that had not yet been identified by the Ministry had their hoods drawn and remained in the shadows. Even if this man proved to be an ally they did not want him to be able to gain too much information. As everyone knew that House Elves had taken them from Hogwarts there was no need for Twinkle to remain hidden. It appeared that Stevens was still unconscious but to make sure Snape hit him with a stunning spell so they could administer the Veritaserum without any resistance. When the man's body went limp Snape stepped forward quickly and poured three drops down his throat before reviving him. Holding Stevens' head tightly in his hands Snape looked intently into his eyes until a slightly white haze seemed to pass over them. The Potions Master breathed a sigh of relief, at least now they knew that they would get truthful answers.

"What is your name and position?" Snape began.

"Geoffrey Allen Stevens, Head of the Department of Mysteries." He answered in a monotone voice but even Harry was able to see a spark in the man's eyes that should not be there. As Snape thought, he was completely aware of his surroundings but was hiding it fairly well at the moment.

"Are you a Death Eater or Voldemort sympathizer?" Harry snapped out and Snape shot him a look that clearly told him to shut up. In any other situation the old Unspeakable would have released a barrage of hexes at any man that questioned his loyalty but at the moment he was fighting an up hill battle just to keep his anger at such an accusation from showing.

"No."

"Who do you support, Fudge or Dumbledore?"

"Neither."

"Why?"

"Because Fudge doesn't have the brains to outsmart a flubberworm much less Voldemort and Dumbledore doesn't have the balls to do what must be done." This answer seemed to surprise everyone in the room and even Snape had a look of confusion on his face. Stevens was lucky that his answer warranted such a response because he lost his composure for just a moment but no one seemed to notice. It was after all an answer he never would have spoken out loud. He greatly respected the Hogwarts Headmaster but he thought the man had his priorities in the wrong place.

"No one is going to argue against your assessment of Fudge's intelligence but why do you question Dumbledore?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Albus Dumbledore, though intelligent and powerful, holds himself above the actions of the Death Eaters. The Dark Lord and his followers kill indiscriminately yet he will not advocate using lethal force if necessary. He believes that all Death Eaters should be captured and sent to Azkaban. In a perfect society this would be all well and good but we do not live in a perfect society. Voldemort has already arranged one mass breakout of the prison and he certainly has the means to do so again. If we continue to do things as Dumbledore wants, we will all be risking our lives to capture Death Eaters only to hand them right back to their master."

"I like this guy already." Harry chuckled.

"Potter, quiet." Snape shot back. He clearly didn't like being interrupted.

"What, the man is right. You saw how those Unspeakables were fighting. We can't exactly fight against the unforgivable curses with tickling charms and pinching hexes." While Snape and Harry were glaring at each other Stevens took the time to observe the young man. Though his face was scarred and battered and according to Auror Shacklebolt he could be fierce in a fight, he didn't really look nearly as cold and bloodthirsty as many were claiming him to be.

"Speaking of which," Tonks began as she stepped forward. "Fudge claims only one Unspeakable survived Harry's explosion curses, is that true?"

"Yes."

"What is his name?"

"Adam McNair."

"Walden McNair's younger brother?" Snape asked in surprise.

"Yes!"

"Where is Fudge hiding him?" Harry asked angrily.

"I don't know."

"Have you questioned him?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Fudge ordered that no one was to see him."

"That son of a bitch." Harry growled as he began pacing the length of the room before another question came to him.

"You are in direct control over the Unspeakables, you claim that you are not a Voldemort supporter and yet over a dozen Death Eaters have managed infiltrate the Department of Mysteries. How could that happen?"

"The Death Eaters have never been able to get a foothold in the department. Our screening techniques for new recruits will uncover any attempt at deception." This time he was not able to keep his anger from showing but no one seemed to notice. He was also confused at this line of questioning. When they first began he figured they would ask about the departments various operations but they had yet to ask anything that couldn't gain them an advantage over the Ministry.

"Apparently your screening techniques aren't as fool proof as you claim…" Snape began with a sneer but Harry suddenly cut him off.

"You said you screen all new recruits, does this include questioning under Veritaserum?" He asked curiously.

"Yes."

"Are all Unspeakables routinely questioned to prevent leaks in security?"

"All lower level agents are interrogated at least once a month by their commanders."

"What about the commanders?"

"They are not subjected to investigation."

"Why not?"

"I don't know." Harry was a bit surprised at the answer before he realized that the man could only answer questions that he was one hundred percent sure he knew the answer. He could not offer opinion or speculation.

"Tonks, do you have any idea why they wouldn't investigate people that held such important positions?" He asked the young Metamophagus. As a former Auror she was the one most likely to have a decent answer.

"Probably because they are the ones in charge. They rise high enough in the department and they feel that they are some how above the others and don't have to subject themselves to the same set of rules." She replied after thinking for a few moments. Harry nodded thoughtfully before turning back to their 'guest of honor' just as Snape was asking his next question.

"Would you agree that if one of these commanders was to change his or her loyalties, they would then be in a position to recruit those that also held the same loyalties as well as making sure that their intentions remained hidden by filing false reports about their various interrogations?"

"Yes." Stevens answered in the same monotone voice but everyone could see the brief look of realization pass before his eyes. The man was greatly surprised that such a scenario was never considered before. Unspeakables had to serve at least twenty years before they could achieve the rank of commander so after twenty years of monthly questioning it just didn't occur to anyone that they might betray them after so many years of faithful service. As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, he now began thinking that it was entirely possible that Potter and his companions may have been speaking the truth. If an Unspeakable Commander had joined the Dark Lord they could easily bring other Death Eaters into the department.

"So you would also agree that the security that is employed by the Department of Mysteries is not as complete as you originally believed?"

"Yes."

Snape saw the white haze clearing away from the man's eyes as the truth serum was wearing off. "Lucius Malfoy and his 'colleagues were all captured in Death Eater robes and masks, each one had preformed the Unforgivable curse numerous times. Just last month they were all set to be shipped off to Azkaban for life. Why were they released?"

"Minister Fudge and a number of other high ranking officials spoke on their behalf. They argued that those men had been forced to act while under the Imperius curse. With their support, the majority of the Wizengamont voted in their favor."

"You mean they just believed that pathetic story?" Dung's friend Nigel yelled from the shadows. His thick cockney accent making his rage all the more evident.

"Don't answer that." Snape told Stevens before he turned back to his fuming colleagues. "It is not that they believed their story but rather that the majority of the Ministry heads are purebloods that are afraid of making the Dark Lord their enemy. At the moment they feel they are in no danger since they have no muggle blood and they don't want to draw attention to themselves. While most would never even consider joining the Death Eaters, they could not care less about what they do to others. The only reason so many Death Eaters are released when they claim they were under the control of some curse or potion is because there is no way to disprove their stories. The money they throw around to various ministers also helps their cause."

"Why is it that Dumbledore was not aware of their release until after the fact? He is after all the head of the Wizengamont."

"Because Fudge chose not to inform him of the hearing. He claimed that since Dumbledore was aided in apprehending them that he was to personally involved to give a fair judgment."

"More like he was afraid the other members would align with Dumbledore rather than him if he were present." Harry muttered to himself angrily.

"Potter, the Veritaserum is wearing off, we have to get him out of here before he starts taking notice of his surroundings."

"Any chance of him remembering any of this?"

"Not much, there were a few brief moments when his eyes betrayed emotion but I don't believe he had complete control. He may recall certain details but not enough to make much sense out of them."

"Alright, stun him and we'll dump him off at his home." Were the last words the man heard before the red light of Tonks' stunning spell connected with his chest and everything went black. Nigel and John took the man and activated a portkey that Snape had previously made and the two men and their prisoner disappeared.

"Well I think that went well." Harry said happily as he clapped his hands together. He turned to Twinkle to see about getting something to eat prepared but held his tongue when he noticed the confused look on the house elf's face. He was about to ask what was wrong when her eyes suddenly went wide and she quickly vanished with a pop.

"Um, what was that all about?" He asked in a confused tone as he looked at the others around the room.

Snape was crossing the entrance hall after leaving the others to talk after their interrogation. He had no desire to linger and talk about nothing so he intended to head to the library and see how Susan and Blaise were coming along with sorting out the books they had taken from Hogwarts. He was nearly at the staircase when the front door opened behind him and thinking it was Dung returning from his own little piece of the nights scavenger hunt, he turned around to see how it went. What he saw was not what he expected.

"SNAPE!" An angry and shocked voice ground out while three wands were pointed at the former Death Eater.

Harry and Tonks were walking up the stairs from the basement just a few moments after Snape when they heard someone shout Snape's name angrily. The two looked at each other in confusion before running up the remaining stairs and through the open doorway into the entrance hall. They stopped suddenly and Harry removed both his wands when he saw two unknown people holding wands on the Slytherin with two obvious children stood behind them. Another, obviously a man, held Snape by his collar and was whispering to him. They could not hear what the man was saying but given the situation they didn't need to. Snape was clenching his teeth in anger as he sneered at the man but even from this distance Harry could see the shock on the man's face. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to blast the man into oblivion but he recognized that with two more wands trained on him he didn't have a chance. Without thinking Harry raised the hood of his cloak to hide his face since he had no idea who they could be. He did not want to reveal himself to anyone unless absolutely necessary.

Despite his confusion regarding the situation Harry decided it would be best to neutralize the aggressors. No matter who they were or the fact that they had children with them, they illegally entered his house and considering who they were and what they were doing they simply could allow anyone to simple walk in as if they owned the place. He took a few silent steps forward and quickly got his chance when the two children moved to the side, giving him a clear shot at both the man holding Snape and one of the two that had their wands drawn. With a silent incantation he shot one stunner from each wand and easily hit both targets. Both children turned swiftly and looked at him in fear but Harry paid them no mind. His third target was turning but suddenly stopped as Harry spoke up.

"Don't move, you're not that fast." He said coldly and the figure stopped suddenly. "Drop the wand and move to the wall!" After a moments pause their arm lowered the wand clattered to the floor. Slowly they stepped over to the side to stand next to the two children and Harry and Tonks could now see that it was a young man, may a year or two younger than Harry himself. He had unremarkable features and a shock of red hair. Not the bright Weasley red but closer to a deep auburn color. Walking forward Tonks picked up the boys wand as well as the two of the people laying stunned on the floor.

"Now, would someone care to explain what the hell is going on?" Harry asked calmly but a deaf man could hear the threatening edge in his voice. Snape was more than willing to explain although you couldn't tell if it was because he no longer had wands pointed at him or because he didn't want to annoy Harry in such a situation.

"These, people, just walked in a moment ago." He answered shortly but he looked uncertain about continuing and glanced at Harry with something that looked like concern before he focused his gaze on the two people on the floor.

"Who are you, and how did you get here?" Harry asked the oldest boy as he decided to think about Snape's odd behavior later. The teenager just rolled his eyes and turned his attention elsewhere as if Harry wasn't worth his attention.

"Ah, the silent type are you." Harry said in a silky voice as he stepped a bit closer to the boy. "Let me explain something to you. Obviously we are in the middle of a war, but unlike everyone else we have to enemies, Voldemort and the Ministry. Both are after our blood. This house is our only refuge and it will remain so only as long as NO ONE knows where it is. I will go to almost any lengths to guarantee the safety of those within these walls. You were able to enter and when you did you attacked one of my people. The situation is entirely unacceptable "

"If you fight against this Dark Lord then why would the Ministry be your enemy?" The boy asked in a shaky voice. Harry was a bit confused at his choice of words, as if he knew almost nothing of Voldemort but he didn't let that deter him. It was a simple question so Harry decided to answer truthfully.

"When you kill a dozen of their top law enforcers they tend to get a bit cranky. Now I will ask you again. Who are you and how did you get here?" Harry nearly growled. The boy gulped and took a few shaky steps to stand in front of the two younger children. Looking at them for the first time Harry could clearly see that they were related.

"My name is Jacob Andrews, this is my brother and sister."

"And them?" He asked as he pointed to the two stunned adults.

"My parents."

"See, that wasn't so hard now was it? Now how did you get into this house?"

"An elf brought us in." Harry looked at the boy intently for a moment before he remembered Twinkle's odd behavior and disappearance not long ago.

"TWINKLE!" Harry roared causing the three children to jump back in fear. An instant later Twinkle appeared with a pop but she looked at anything other than Harry.

"Master wanted to see Twinkle?" She asked in a quiet voice. Obviously with her fear of punishment she reverted back to calling him master.

"Why did you bring these people here?" Harry had managed not to yell at the scared creature but it took an awful lot of restraint. He was beyond pissed that she would give someone access to the house without telling him. Especially since the people in question attacked Snape as soon as they entered.

"Because Master wished it." When she said this Snape's head snapped back up from where he was just staring at the people at his feet and looked at the elf in shock. Harry however only seemed to grow angrier. He hadn't told her to let anyone in much less people he didn't even know. He was about to lose his temper completely when Snape stepped in.

"Potter, you are going to need to see this." His words were said calmly but they were laced with a great deal of urgency. Harry looked at the man where he was standing next to the body of the man that had previously attacked him and he saw both shock and disbelief on the man's face. With one last look at Twinkle and growled and walked over to the older man.

"What?" He snapped but Snape didn't take offence to his tone which told Harry that there was a serious problem.

"Look." He said plainly as he kicked the man over on to his back. Harry looked at him in confusion for a moment before he looked at the man on the floor. At first his mind didn't register what he saw but a moment later Harry's face went white and he was backing away slowly until he tripped over the bottom step of the staircase. He sat there for several minutes in silence, his eyes never leaving the man's face. Despite being a bit older than he appeared in old pictures it was fairly obvious who he was, or at least who he was pretending to be. A moment later the man began to stir and his eyes slowly fluttered open and Harry's breath caught in his throat as the face of James Potter stared back at him.

TBC


	14. Betrayal of the Worst Kind

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr23**

**Chapter Fourteen: Betrayal of the Worst Kind **

"Who are you?" James Potter asked from his position on the floor. The last few minutes the others had reemerged from the lower levels of the house and were standing in the entrance hall in a state of confusion and shock. A few of them had acted quickly when they realized someone else was there and pulled their hoods up over their heads to prevent being identified but the majority weren't in any state to think of such precautions. After all it wasn't everyday you see a walking talking dead man. "I SAID, WHO ARE YOU? I DEMAND TO KNOW WHY YOU ARE IN MY HOUSE!" He yelled as Harry gave him no answer. The concealment charm on his battlerobes had worn off while they were questioning Geoffrey Stevens so the sight of the magnificent robes with the hood drawn and the 'casual' way he was sitting on the stairs made for an intimidating sight and that angered James greatly since he was in no position to ward off any attack. Susan and Blaise had heard the commotion and come down from the library and were currently standing halfway up the stairs looking at the people below with open mouths.

Harry was still in a state of shock and didn't hear the man's first question. His first thought was obviously that this was impossible but if it were James Potter it would explain how he had entered the house. Twinkle was bound to serve the Potter family so she would have heard his call and would have had to follow his instructions. Twinkle had said that the master had told her to allow them in but since Harry certainly didn't tell her to that was the only possibility left. Also the fact that you could not simply use Polyjuice potion to fool a house elf, they would know who their master was and who wasn't no matter what type of deception was used. But he had seen his parents images come out of Voldemort's wand at the end of his forth year, indicating that he had killed them. Unless…

Harry quickly squashed these thoughts in favor of another. In one of his 'dream visits' with Godric Gryffindor he had said that he did not know Harry's parents personally because he had yet to find them in the realm of the dead. He couldn't find them because they weren't there at all, they never were. He was pulled out of his thoughts as the man began yelling at him and Harry quickly felt his anger rising to new heights.

"You are in a position to demand nothing." Harry snapped as he pulled himself back up to his feet. "I on the other hand, am in a position to demand everything." He said coldly as he stepped closer to the man.

"Twinkle, I want these people out of my house immediately!" James ordered in a last ditch effort to regain control of the situation. The little elf just looked at the man with sad eyes before she shook her head and respond in a weak voice.

"I am sorry Master James, but I must follow Master Harry's wishes." At these words James attention was snapped back to the man in front of him and his eyes were wide in shock at the implication that she had to follow his orders instead of his own.

"That is not possible. Harry will not be seventeen for over a year yet." He chocked out as he cast a wary gaze at his shocked children. Harry chuckled humorlessly.

"Is that all you can think about when faced with the son you abandoned to die years ago? You truly are as arrogant as Snape always claimed. I noticed your son seemed to know very little of Voldemort and judging by your children's stunned expressions I would venture a guess that they know very little if anything about your past. Am I right? Well to satisfy your curiosity, the goblins were very helpful in expediting certain formalities to prevent the Ministry from hindering my movements. Despite the fact that I am underage I AM the legal head, and in my opinion, the ONLY remaining member of the Potter family." He responded as he circled around his 'father'. When he was behind the man he raised one of his wands to his right eye and whispered a soft word. If would cause him great discomfort later on but he felt the need to shock the man as much as possible. Not even Snape or Tonks knew about his magical yet and Harry thought it was a perfect time for them to find out.

"Where is Sirius? If you truly are Harry Potter then he should be here with you!" James demanded as Harry came back into his line of sight. This, he would learn, was the wrong thing to say. The temper that Harry was just barely containing finally snapped and with a strength born from rage and pain he lifted the man up and slammed him into the wall pinning him in place with his left forearm held tightly against his throat. With a quick movement he ripped away his hood as well as the scarf that covered his right eye. The struggle the older man was putting up ceased immediately when his wide eyes locked on to the face that was mere inches from his own. The various scars that stood out on his oldest son's face stunned him beyond belief but it was the absence of one of his eyes that made his knees go weak. He would have fallen to the floor if it weren't for the unnatural grip the boy had on him.

"Sirius is dead." Harry said through clenched teeth. "He died two months ago after spending over a decade in Azkaban for your 'murder'. He died saving my life so if you value yours you will do everything I say and answer every question I ask." With that Harry released the man and James promptly fell to the floor where he began coughing and rubbing his throat while casting disbelieving looks at Harry and those around him.

"Take them all down to the holding cell." Harry snapped at Dung and Bill who had just walked through the door and were standing there in a state of supreme confusion.

"Harry I suggest we leave the children up here with Twinkle when we question them. That interrogation room is no place for children." Tonks spoke up uncertainly. Harry glanced at the three children standing against the wall for a moment. The two youngest looked to be about seven years old, probably twins, and they both looked frightened but their curiosity seemed to overwhelm their fear. The oldest boy had his face set in an expressionless mask, well he obviously thought it was expressionless, but it was clear he wanted answers as well.

"No, they will come with us. Their parents felt the need to hide their past from them so they will get their answers when we do. But you're right about the basement. Bring them all into the sitting room, we'll do this in there." Tonks nodded and led the three into the next room as Snape levitated the unconscious body of Lily Potter behind them. Harry had his wand trained on James and motioned him to follow the others. The elder Potter had a look on his face that clearly said he could not believe that things had progressed to such a point. Everyone else had made their way into the sitting room leaving only James, Harry and Bill Weasley who was standing just behind Harry's left should and looked at the man as if daring him to try anything. Susan had quickly explained to him and Dung what was going on and to say the least, they were pissed. Slowly James stood up from the floor and crossed the entrance hall into the next room.

Ten minutes later the three children were sitting on the couch with their parents in high backed armchairs at an angle next to them. The lack of space had everyone else other that Susan and Blasie standing around the room and the four conscious members of the James Potter's 'family' were feeling real uneasy about the looks they were getting.

"Let's get this over with." Harry finally said after what felt like an eternity of silence and everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "We'll start with him but I want my _mother_ to witness this." Harry spat the word mother as if it were a word to be held in disgust. Bill and Dung held James tightly as Snape administered the Veritaserum. When they were sure it had taken affect Tonks revived Lily Potter. After a brief moment she shook her head as if to clear away some cobwebs then quickly looked about for her children. She looked relieved to see them safe and sound but then seemed to realize the situation they were in. Being surrounded by a dozen unknown cloaked and hooded people was not very reassuring. Granted she knew Snape but no matter what Dumbledore said she wasn't about to trust her family's safety to the man. Her attention was immediately drawn to the young man standing at Snape's side. She visibly flinched at the look on his face, not only because of the scars but also because of the anger and loathing that burned in his one eye. An eye that somehow seemed familiar

"Who are you?" She asked in a quiet voice but it held a certain edge to it. She may be in what seemed like a hopeless situation but she wasn't about to be intimidated.

"I'm sure you recognize Severus Snape here," The young man began as he motioned to the man beside him. "Over there, you will remember Mundungus Fletcher and these two lovely young women are Nymphadora Tonks and Blaise Zabini. Not even Dumbledore is entitled to know the identity of our other companions so it should go without saying that neither will you. I, on the other hand, have a name I am sure you will recognize, Harry Potter." Lily's face went chalk white as she surveyed the face of her son and her eyes began to shine with tears. She looked like she was about to say something but Harry cut her off. "Until I say otherwise, you will keep your mouth shut." Harry snapped in anger before turning towards James.

"Just for clarification, what is your name?"

"James Edward Potter."

"The entire magical world believes that you and your wife died in October of 1981, how did you survive the attack?" Harry asked, he didn't see Lily's confused expression at the question.

"We were never attacked at that time."

"Interesting, so who stood in your place on Halloween night of that year?" Snape sneered as he picked up the line of questioning. Realization seemed to have dawned on Lily and she was unable to hold back her tears any longer but no one paid her any mind, they just wanted to know who had died for their young friend when not even his parents were willing to defend him.

"Brian and Alia Bones." It sounded as if the air was sucked out of the room as everyone gasped and turned concerned eyes towards Susan. The disappearance of Mr. and Mrs. Bones had always been a big mystery but it seemed that they now had their answer. Susan had gone pale and she was shaking slightly but that was not enough to cover up the hate that was showing as she glared at the doped up man sitting directly across from her. Without warning, the petite Hufflepuff jumped up from her chair and rushed at the man. Everyone would have simply loved to see her lay into the man but given the circumstances it wasn't really productive. Thinking quickly, Bill cut her off just before she reached her target and got a tight hold on her before pulling her out of the room.

"Don't leave her by herself right now. I'll let you know what we find out later." Harry whispered to Bill as he passed, his voice showing his deep concern for the girl. The eldest child of Arthur and Molly Weasley nodded silently before leaving the room, holding the sobbing girl to him tightly. Having no idea who the girl was, their 'guests' wanted to know who she was and why she reacted in such a fashion but one glance by Harry convinced them not to ask so they opted to remain silent.

"Why were they impersonating you and where have you been for the last fourteen and a half years?"

"We had known for quite some time already that we were targets of the Dark Lord…" What followed was a very detailed description of the history between Lily and James Potter and everyone's favorite Dark Lord. After escaping him for a forth time in late November of that year they decided that if their family was to survive it would have to be far way from England where Voldemort was consolidating his power. Over the next few weeks they planned every last detail and had even enlisted the help of their friends, Brain and Alia Bones, in an attempt to give them a good head start. They would use Polyjuice potion over the course of two weeks to throw off any suspicion by making themselves seen in public from time to time. Unfortunately they thought they couldn't risk taking Harry with them since they had no idea how long they would be moving around and it wouldn't be the best atmosphere for an infant. Instead they decided to leave him behind to be raised by Sirius until it was safe for them to return to England. After impersonating James and Lily for two weeks the Bones' would inform Sirius of the situation. It would be relatively easy to convince those that had never seem Harry before that he was Sirius' son since he was widely regarded as a playboy at the time so the idea that he had an illegitimate child was not to much of a stretch.

"If told, Sirius and a number of others would have tried to stop us or accompany us and I could not allow either to happen. With us in hiding Voldemort would expend valuable resources to find us, weakening himself in other areas and I wanted Sirius to be the one to look after Harry. Two people can hide better than three and I didn't want my best friend to be hunted as well." James replied when Dung asked why neither Sirius nor Dumbledore had been told before hand. Soon they got to the question of where they had been hiding. Once again James explained how they had come across their little sanctuary in south-east Asia and as he described their lives when prompted Harry felt a renewed sense of betrayal building in side of him. The man spoke of the loving atmosphere as they lived there lives in piece and happiness with their three children, away from the prying eyes of those that may wish them harm.

Harry had never felt so angry in his life and it took every last bit of restraint to keep from attacking the man outright. While he was living through hell with the Dursleys and while he was dodging assassination attempts by Voldemort, the two people that should care more about him more then any other were living peacefully with their new family. A family that he obviously never had any place in. He would be lying to himself if he claimed that he was not jealous of the three children, his brothers and sister, and the life they had. All he had ever wanted was to be part of a caring family and four the last five years he had blamed Voldemort for his lack of a happy childhood but in reality it was the actions of his parents that had denied him that life.

"One more question," Harry with a hitch in his voice. He wanted nothing more than for this day to be over and crawl into his bed and never wake up again but he needed an answer to his final question. "You claim that you wanted me to be raised by Sirius until you returned and yet it has been nearly fifteen years since you ran like cowards. You made no effort to contact me, Sirius or anyone else. If you had you would have certainly learned of the man's wrongful imprisonment and the fates of the two people that died doing what you refused to attempt, protect a helpless child. Normally you would think a parent would want to at least get information about their child but you did not feel the need to seek out that information. Your apparent indifference seems to show that you left and then had no intention of coming back."

"That's not true!" Lily exclaimed through her sobs, drawing all attention to her. "We didn't want to leave you at all."

"And yet you did just that." Harry sneered back with contempt. "My question is this, why is it that you didn't attempt to return or at least get into contact with someone?"

"By the time we felt it was safe to return Lily had already given birth to Jacob. When they were both well enough to travel we found other excuse not to return. Soon we had two more children and our desire to protect them gave us reason enough to stay. When the children grew older we were afraid of their reaction to the truth. They didn't even know that Andrews was not our true name much less the fact that they had an older brother."

"So you basically locked three children up in the mountains to ensure their safety but you had no problem leaving your first born son to die, all because you were afraid of upsetting the children you did care about." Tonks snapped as she stood up quickly from the chair Susan had been sitting in before she was taken out of the room by Bill. James was obviously confused by the statement since he didn't answer but no reply was necessary. Harry nodded to Snape and the potions master administered the antidote before returning the cork to the vial and stepping back. After a few moments the effects of the Veritaserum were completely gone leaving the man with a splitting headache and a very slimy and very nasty taste in his mouth.

"Well, this was certainly a full day," Harry said sarcastically. "I would suggest you speak with Dumbledore before you let anyone see you, they'd probably kill you. Now, get the hell out of my house." He finished before he stood and made his way to the door but stopped when a sudden thought occurred to him. "Twinkle!" At Harry's call the small house elf appeared at Harry's side and she still looked downcast and would not meet his eyes.

"Yes Master Harry sir." She squeaked out quietly.

"Tomorrow I want you and our curse breaker to recast the Fedelius charm. You and I will both share the responsibility of being the secret keeper so that I can bring in other people without troubling you. But from now on you are not to admit anyone with out my approval, is that understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"You're going to throw us out in to the street just like that?" James yelled as he stood up, looking at Harry in shock. "This is our house, we built it. We're your parents for Merlin's sake."

"YOU ARE NOT MY PARENTS!" Harry spun back around and matched the man glare for glare. "I have no parents, they died the moment you abandoned me to a life of abuse and pain. It's funny really. All my life I was beaten and starved as punishment by my 'loving' Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon for defending you when they ridiculed you both for being no good, arrogant, selfish trash. When you receive your first beating at age three it leaves a marvelous impression. For years this was a regular occurrence and I find it a bit ironic that every negative word they ever said about you now seems to be true. It may surprise some of you to hear me say this but right now I can fully understand exactly why Voldemort murdered his father." Everyone looked at Harry in shock at his final statement but he just turned his attention back to the house elf at his side.

"Twinkle, I want these people gone now." He said crisply before leaving the room at a brisk pace. He quickly ascended the staircase to the third floor and threw his door open with a bang before slamming it again. He looked around the room for a few brief moments before his hold over his rage collapsed and he set out for a night of extreme 'redecoration'.

Three hours later Harry had used up the last remnants of his energy and collapsed to his knees and held his head in his hands as he sobbed loudly, feeling the anguish of his parents abandonment in every inch of his body and mind. He sat kneeling on that floor for the rest of the night, surrounded by what was left of the furniture and personal items that his room had previously contained. Among the pile was the burnt remains of the red leather bound photo album that Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year at Hogwarts. For four years it had been his most treasured possession but now it seemed like nothing more than a book of lies.

XXX

The entire castle was in an uproar ever since Harry had disappeared. Madam Pince had led the Headmaster and others to the library where they found the gate to the restricted section wide open and a few random books laying on the tables. The only one that looked closer to a panic attack than the librarian was Hermione as she looked all of the empty spaces on the shelves that were once fill with priceless volumes detailing some of the most dangerous forms of magic. Dumbledore took off his half moon spectacles and rubbed his eyes for a moment before a sudden thought occurred to him. He had told Harry that the entire Order would be present at the meeting, their headquarters was completely empty at the moment. He quickly sent both Remus and Charlie Weasley to Grimmauld Place to make sure everything was still in order.

"How did he get in? The wards should have gone off if someone had entered the school grounds even if they came through one of the secret passages, wouldn't they?" Arthur asked in confusion. Of course he was greatly pleased that he had gotten away but he was still curious as to how they had gotten in because if Harry could do it someone else could as well.

"You are correct, the wards should have gone off. Unless Hogwarts herself was deliberately hiding his movements from me." Albus answered with a puzzled expression on his face. Had he known of Harry's plans he probably would not have hindered them but the fact that Harry was able to move undetected until he chose to show himself was very puzzling indeed.

"He could have used some type of dark magic to bypass the wards?" Hermione asked.

"Why would you assume it was dark magic?" Aberforth Dumbledore asked the young girl curiously.

"Well he certainly has been collecting enough information on it. What else would he be stealing all these books for?"

"Ms. Granger, do not assume you know everything. Just because someone studies the dark arts does not mean they are a Death Eater. It would probably surprise you to learn that Albus has one of the most extensive collections on dark magic in England yet he is fully devoted to the light."

"Well that's different, he doesn't use that magic, Harry does. You saw him in the Great Hall when he attacked Kingsley."

"Mr. Potter did not attack Mr. Shacklebolt, he challenged him, there is a difference. As for the spell it was merely a powerful stunner. He used it to prove a point. And I think he proved it quite effectively which brings me back to my previous statement concerning my brother. You are right, he doesn't use the dark arts and if he doesn't use them then what would be the point of having them in the first place?" Aberforth finished before walking back out of the library with a small smile on his lips. Hermione had to think about the question for only a moment before she came up with the answer. Her headmaster's brother was merely telling her in a not so subtle way that Harry was right when he told them that having a full understanding of the dark arts was a necessity if they wanted to defeat Voldemort.

Remus returned a half hour later with a small smile of amusement tugging at his lips while he ascended the stairs that led to Dumbledore's office. It took no time at all for his old friend to call him in after he knocked and when he entered he was a little surprised to see the his normally pristine desk completely covered with ancient books with his nose buried in the pages of a particularly dusty manuscript.

"Well, they hit the headquarters as well." He informed the old man as he dropped down into the offered chair. Dumbledore put his book down and sighed.

"What did they take?"

"A fair piece of the library as well as a few other odds and ends. But it's what they left behind that will irritate people the most." Remus said with a soft chuckle as his eyes shined in obvious glee. Dumbledore looked at the man for a few moments as he waited for him to explain but after sometime he began to get annoyed at the other man's lack of information.

"Well…" He prompted in irritation.

"What, oh yes, sorry about that. Well, it would seem that they thought a renovation was long over due so they colored every surface, walls, doors, furniture, everything in the most hideous shade of pink I have ever seen. Even the portrait of Mrs. Black is now pink. From what I could decipher from her raging temper tantrum, she is not pleased with the situation at all. We tried to undue the charms but nothing we tried seems to work, whoever cast that spell certainly knew what they were doing." Remus was laughing full out now and Dumbledore also found the situation funny though he was not looking forward to spending any amount of time in the house.

"So, did you find anything while I was gone?" He asked after he calmed down enough to speak.

"Nothing much concerning how Harry managed to bypass our security but about ten minutes ago I was informed that Nymphadora was found in Minister Fudge's office. She managed to stun the men that interrupted her and got away. We're not sure what she was looking for but Geoffrey Stevens disappeared from his office at the same time so naturally the Ministry believes that Mr. Potter has captured him."

XXX

Geoffrey Stevens woke suddenly on the couch in his sitting room with a loud groan and a killer headache. It took him a few moments but he was soon able to recall the events of the previous evening with great detail and to be frank, he was greatly disturbed. He knew that there was a possibility that Potter had used the situation to try to manipulate him into believing him to be innocent but the fact remained that he had been correct about the lack of security concerning higher level Unspeakables. Whether or not the men Potter had killed were truly Death Eaters or not he had now put the doubts and suspicions into Stevens' head and in his opinion only good could come out of it. New policies would have to be implemented to ensure the departments security but it would surely cause a great deal of outrage on the part of his immediate subordinates. This brought with it other complications. To be one hundred percent sure of his commanders' loyalty he would have to over see their questioning himself with the aid of men he could trust without fail. Glancing up at the large grandfather clock to his right he was not surprised to see that it was already two a.m. Without a seconds thought of the lateness of the hour he marched out the front door and across his lawn to get out of the anti-apperation wards before he disappeared with a soft pop.

He reappeared at the home of Amelia Bones, Head of Magical Law Enforcement and wasted no time announcing his presence. It was not long before he was surrounded by armed Aurors, after the previous attack on the Bones' home they were taking no more chances. Stevens raised his arms above his head as a sign that he would not resist as the lead Auror began casting scanning and detection spells on the man to be sure that he was not under any form of concealment such as Polyjuice potion. After a few minutes they seemed to be satisfied and the Aurors lowered their wands and all but one vanished again.

"I apologize Mr. Stevens but we cannot take any chances." The Auror began as he lowered his hood to reveal the face of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Quite understandable given the situation. I realize this is highly irregular but I must speak with Madam Bones immediately." The man said in a tone that showed the seriousness of the situation. Kingsley nodded sharply and led the man inside and quickly sent the man guarding the entrance hall to wake his boss. The man paled slightly at having to wake the temperamental woman at that ungodly hour but swiftly left to complete his task.

"It's good to see that you were unharmed in the raid Sir." Kingsley said as he led the man into the sitting room. Stevens looked at the man with a guarded expression and decided to see what the man knew before he volunteered any information.

"Which raid would that be?" The Auror looked at the man a bit oddly before answering.

"The raid on the Ministry. Those accursed Raiders were seen ransacking Minister Fudge's office. You were seen in the hallway about the same time but no one could find you afterwards so it was assumed something had happened to you."

"Yes, that. That is part of what I must speak to your superior about." He answered cryptically as he lowered himself into an armchair. They waited in silence for several minutes before the grumbling of an annoyed Madam Bones could be heard as she descended the stairs. The two men stood up as she entered the room.

"Alright Stevens, what the hell do you want?" She snapped tiredly as she sat down. Kingsley made to leave the room but stopped when Stevens told him that he would need to hear this as well.

"What I want Amelia, is your help." Those simple words stunned both Madam Bones and Shacklebolt. Geoffrey Stevens was not a man who would easily admit that he was incapable of doing a job on his own so the fact that he was coming to her instead of someone in his own department showed them how serious he thought the situation was.

"You obviously know about the break-in in Fudge's office," He waited for Mrs. Bones nod before continuing. "I don't know what they were looking for in there but it appears that I was their primary target. After a little carelessness, and possibly arrogance, I was captured but one of your former Aurors, Nymphadora Tonks." Both of their jaws nearly hit the floor. Stevens was widely regarded as the best dueler in the Ministry and the thought of Tonks beating him left them speechless. For the next twenty minutes he gave them every detail of his questioning and subsequent release. After he was finished silence filled the room for sometime before Kingsley spoke up.

"With all due respect Sir, you can't be suggesting that Potter may be innocent. He just robbed Hogwarts for Merlin's sake." He nearly shouted in an exasperated voice.

"HE DID WHAT?" Stevens asked loudly in shock as he shot out of his chair with a look on his face that showed he thought he must have heard wrong.

"Yes, you heard right. About the same time you were captured he managed to enter the school and steel a number of books from the restricted section of the library. He also had others steeling the collection of Dark Arts manuscripts from the headquarters of Dumbledore's Order." Despite the gravity of the situation he couldn't help but release a slight chuckle at the thought of someone getting one over on the old headmaster before returning to the situation at hand.

"How, in the name of magic, did he get into the school without anyone knowing?"

"We don't know yet. He probably used on of the secret passages but that isn't confirmed. But now that you have told us your story, will you please explain to me exactly why you need my help?"

"As I told you, Potter brought up the possibility of one of my commanders aiding the Dark Lord. I will agree that there is a strong possibility that he may have set the situation up to try to turn our attention to non existent spies within our own ranks. But the possibility also exists that he may be right. Unspeakable Commanders have almost total control over their subordinates and are in position to cover up any wrong doing. That is something that must be changed. And if I discover there has been no foul play then at least I will know for sure."

"Alright but that doesn't explain what you need from me." Amelia said carefully. She was by no means a stupid person but she couldn't see why he would need her to help out in his own department.

"The fact remains that I don't have enough people that I can be sure are loyal to the Ministry. Most of your senior Aurors are questioned regularly so you know they are trustworthy. What I need is their help in question each of the commanders and if they prove to be corrupt, then their underlings as well."

"You know as well as I do that I have no jurisdiction over the Department of Mysteries. Anything they find will be inadmissible if it were to go to trial. The only way to aid you would be…" She stopped suddenly as her eyes widened slightly.

"If I were too declare a state of emergency within the department." He finished for her.

"You can't be serious!"

"I am completely serious. If there are any Death Eaters within my ranks I fully intend to find them."

**TBC**


	15. The First Attack

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr23**

**Chapter Fifteen: The First Attack**

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO FOOLISH?" Were the first words Dumbledore shouted after he administered the antidote to Veritaserum to James and Lily Potter. When the Potters arrived at Hogwarts just after dawn he was shocked beyond belief. He was unsure how they had managed to get to his office without being seen but unlike Harry they had been detected by the school's wards. He needed every second that it took them to make to his office door to pull himself together. Dumbledore was as cool as they came but being visited by two people you had thought to be dead would rattle anyone. He had every confidence in his Legillimency abilities but he wasn't going to take any chances so he decided to question them under Veritaserum, an idea that made James groan as he put his head in his hands, still nursing a headache from his questioning the night before. Jacob sat off to the side with his younger sister Rose and brother Benjamin but was listening to every word that was said. He is, by nature, very curious and the events of the last twenty four hours had definitely grabbed his attention. Normally you couldn't pay him to keep his mouth shut but he was quickly learning that you could get more information by remaining outside of a conversation. When his parents had first told him that he had a brother the day before he was naturally curious of who he was and what he enjoyed to do. But after meeting him the night before it now went beyond mere curiosity. The way Harry seemed to hold everyone's respect made him wonder how he had earned it and above all why and how he seemed to be fighting a war on his own.

"We thought we were doing the right thing to keep Harry safe." Lily answered quietly.

"While it is true that Voldemort wanted you both out of the way, it was Harry he was after." The Headmaster informed her crisply. Both the adults and their children looked at Albus with blank expressions. Why would someone as powerful as Voldemort care about a certain child. Seeing their confusion he elaborated. "A week before your 'death' I went to your home to inform you of a prophecy that was made in my presence. It went on to say that Harry would be the only one capable of defeating Voldemort."

"But, but he is just a child." Lily stuttered in shock.

"I also made the mistake of thinking that. You would save yourself a lot of time and aggravation by just accepting that Harry is not a normal boy." Dumbledore sighed as he sank back into his chair.

"Jacob said that the Ministry is after him for murder, is that true?"

"Yes it is." Albus would be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy their reaction to those three simple words. He wasn't a man who advocated outright revenge so he took what he could get. Just over two weeks ago Harry single handedly killed at least twelve Unspeakables. There was another that he had killed before hand but his body was disposed of so we don't know who he was." He had to fight to keep from smiling when their faces went pale and they seemed to stop breathing. The expressions on their faces screamed of disbelief and denial. While it was true the previous night Harry had been angry and cold but he didn't come off as the type that would murder anyone in cold blood. After all if he was a cold blooded killer he wouldn't have let them go unharmed. After he let them think about it long enough he decided to tell them the details behind his actions.

Lily began crying again as Dumbledore explained the abuse and torture Harry and the others went through while being held by the Death Eaters. Although James also looked sick at the abuse his eyes also shined with pride when told that many of injuries Harry had sustained were received while diverting their guard's attention away from his fellow captives.

"I don't want to sound cold or anything, but why didn't they just kill him?" Jacob asked after Albus told them of Twinkle coming to take them away from Hogwarts. Everyone looked at him in surprise, both for his question and because of their shock at what they were being told James and Lily almost forgot that their children were also present. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they got away but if my brother is supposed to be able to kill their boss I would think they would want to get rid of him as quickly as possible, not hang on to him for several days and run the risk of someone finding them or them escaping."

"Most prisoners are killed early on in their captivity but this was a special case. The Dark Lord has been adamant that he will be the one to kill Harry so every Death Eater will use the killing curse only as a last resort. Voldemort had just left the country before their capture so he wasn't there but was confidant that his followers could hold him until his return. Also, any Death Eater stupid, or crazy enough to try to kill Harry themselves, are held at bay by the memory of the last time he was hit by the killing curse." He explained and waited for the onslaught of questions that he knew would be coming and he didn't have to wait long. Thinking quickly, Dumbledore cast a silencing charm on the couch where Rose and Benjamin were sleeping. When Jacob realized he could not hear his parents when they stood up shouting he realized what the Headmaster had done and stepped closer to his parents.

"Please, if you will sit down I will explain." Albus said as he held his hands up to quiet the two demanding parents. They reluctantly agreed to keep silence and retook their seats, Jacob went to claim the chair on the opposite side of his father. "Now before you ask any questions I must tell you that I have very little in the way of answers on this particular subject and the answers I do have are not mine to give." He said, referring to the information they discovered as a result of the prophecy that Blaise had found within Slytherin's journals. So it was with those words that he began telling them of Harry's survival of the killing curse and the subsequent thirteen years of relative peace that the wizarding world had enjoyed until the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Like any mother would be Lily was proud at all Harry had accomplished in such a short time but she was also horrified at all he had to endure. She was quick to demand to know why her former professor 'in all his infinite wisdom' had placed her son with her estranged sister when she held everything 'unnatural' with disgust. The explanation that he was safe as long as he was living with a blood relative was no longer at hand since Lily had never died and offered her blood protection. But her demands were quickly silenced under Dumbledore's piercing gaze and he oh so subtly reminded her that the ones that should have made the decision were either in jail or had made 'other' plans.

"You of all people have no business questioning my decision." He began in a calm voice that held only a hint of what he truly felt at the moment. He thought of Harry almost as an adopted grandson and the thought of anyone hurting him caused him great displeasure and annoyance. "Under the circumstances it was the only option. I knew almost nothing concerning your sister or her family and made the mistake of believing she was care for and raise Harry as if he were her own. Unfortunately I did not learn of the abuse he suffered at their hands until recently but I believe he has told no one of the true extent of it." Jacob was about to bring up another question but cut himself off when Albus seemed to get a faraway look in his eyes for a brief moment before focusing on them once again. "Raise your hoods, Minerva is about to join us." Sure enough ten seconds later an urgent knock sound through the room and before waiting for a reply she burst the door, her normally stern expression looking particularly grave. She spared the three hooded figures and two sleeping children a quick glance before turning to the now concerned Headmaster.

"Albus, Diagon Ally is under attack."

"FAWKES!" He yelled immediately while reaching for a piece of parchment and a quill. The phoenix entered the room in his customary burst of flames and stood on the edge of the desk while Dumbledore quickly scribbled out a short note. "Take this directly to Harry!" He ordered. Fawkes snatched the note out of his hand with his beak and disappeared in a flash.

"We're coming with you!" James said with a note of finality and Lily quickly agreed. McGonagall looked at the two curiously but she sure wasn't going to turn any help away. "Jacob, you stay here with your brother and sister, we'll be back soon." And with giving the boy time to argue about being left behind the four adults stormed out of the office.

XXX

Just as the sun was rising over the eastern horizon a lone figure silently walked down the length of Diagon Ally with one destination in mind. The heels of his dragon hide boots clicking almost silently on the clean cobblestone streets while he seemed to pay little to no attention to his surroundings while the early morning light and a thin layer of mist bathed the quiet shopping district in a dim haze. The shopkeepers preparing to open their stores for the day's shoppers looked at him with no small amount of suspicion, probably due to the beautiful set of green battlerobes the man was wearing and the fact that he had his hood drawn. As he passed by them without incident they turned back to their own work and with the preparations for the business of the day they soon forgot that he was even there.

Harry had woken quite early considering the exhaustion he had felt after the previous day's activities. He had not fallen asleep all that late but he was still surprised to see that it was still dark outside when he looked out his bedroom window. His body was terribly sore as a result of falling asleep on the floor amidst a veritable mountain of destroyed items. He sat in the dark for quite some time thinking about resent events and wondered how things could have gone as far as they had. Speaking strictly as an outsider, Harry could understand James and Lily's desire to protect each other and him as well even if things had not gone as planned due to lack of information. But speaking as the child that had been left behind to endure the abuse that came with life with the Dursleys he didn't think he could ever forgive the two of them. All his life he had wished that his parents were alive and they could all be a family but now he wasn't so sure. Growing up never knowing your parents his hard on any kid but they learn to accept the fact that they would never get that chance. But to suddenly learn that they were alive all along is much much worse than never knowing them at all.

Another factor that had the young man confused was the knowledge that he now had two younger brothers and a sister. Having nearly no experience with the concept of family he had no idea how he was supposed to act around them if they were to meet again. While it was true that the Weasleys had all but adopted him it wasn't the same as having a family of your own. Of course he was jealous of them but he held no ill will against them for their close relationships with their parents when he was cast aside. They were, after all, lied to as well.

With a heavy sigh Harry decided that he didn't want to be in the house when everyone else woke up. The last thing he wanted was for people to start pestering him to talk so that he could get everything off his chest. Maybe is was due to growing up with the Dursleys or maybe it was just him but he did not feel at all comfortable when talking about his private life so he wanted to avoid everyone else for the time being.

It didn't take nearly as long for him to think of somewhere to go as he thought it would. After thinking about his parents once again he left his room silently to avoid waking either Tonks or Blaise who, of course, had moved into the rooms on either side of his own. After closing his door behind him he just stood in the dark hallway for several minutes relishing the total silence that only the night could provide. Once he made it to his study he quickly drafted a letter to his new account manager Griphook to arrange for an early meeting. Well, not really arranging a meeting but merely telling the goblin that he would be at the back early to go over some details with his account.

That is precisely why Harry Potter was walking through an almost deserted street of shops, restaurants and many other places of business at such an early hour. As he walked up the marble staircase leading up to the front door he stopped to read the plaque that was displayed for all customers to see.

'_Enter strangerbut take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed_

_For those who take, but do not earn_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn_

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there.'_

Harry aloud himself a small smile as he read the final line of the poem. He had always liked it and couldn't remember a time that he even just passed by the bank without reading it. Turning his attention back to the task at hand he quickly made his way up the remaining steps and stopped before the massive doors of Gringotts Wizard Bank. After a few moments searching he was able to find the chain that would announce clients and colleagues either before or after normal business hours. With a strong jerk he pulled on the chain with all him might. It took some time but the door eventually opened to reveal the pointed face of a rather small and young looking goblin, not that Harry knew much about the species or their aging patterns.

"Come this way!" The goblin said quietly as he closed the doors behind them and led Harry through the lobby of the bank towards a side door where another was waiting for them. Griphook looked just as Harry remembered him with the exception that his clothing looked far more expensive and he carried around the look of someone that was quite proud of their lot in life. Apparently going from leading people through the maze of tunnels under the bank to dealing with multi-million galleon accounts does wonders for one's self importance. When they reached Griphook the smaller of the two goblins bowed slightly before leaving once again.

"Griphook." Harry greeted with a slight nod of his head. He had no idea about the customs of goblins so he praying to make it through this meeting without insulting him. Griphook returned the greeting before unlocking the door behind him and leading Harry through many long and winding corridors before he finally waved Harry into what he assumed was his account manager's office.

"You said in your letter that you would like to see your family vault and also settle some business, correct? With would you prefer to do first?"

"Since we are already here we might as well get this over with as soon as possible. It shouldn't take long anyway." With his manager's nod of acceptance Harry continued. "I would like to have another vault to hold cash only, to be used strictly for financial purposes."

"I see. And how much would you like to transfer into this new vault?" Harry could clearly see the greed in the small creature's eyes as he asked his question. While the commissions earned for each transfer are not much at all they still receive a small amount. Goblins are very greedy creatures and even if they could swindle you out of just four bronze knuts, instead of five, they would be more than content about the day's dealings.

"Two million galleons should be more than enough but if the need should arise I will make the decision to transfer more or not." For the next twenty minutes Harry went over the details of the new vault with Griphook since he had to finalize the plans for the security the bank will offer. In the end he decided on a vault similar to the one that his trust fund was in before it was confiscated by the Ministry. But unlike his former vault Harry decided to get full protection which consisted of various charms, illusions and other security measures. No key would be needed since it was in the high security area and only the goblins could open those doors. They had learned from their previous mistakes that allowed Professor Quirrell to break into the high security vault that had been housing the Sorcerer's Stone until Hagrid has retrieved it on Dumbledore's orders before Harry's first year at Hogwarts began.

The use of portkeys have been a convenient method of accessing a vault for many years now and they have yet to have a single complaint. But entering the vault from the tunnels under the bank have raised questions since Quirrell's wasted trip five years before. Now, unless you had portkey access to your vault, a goblin **must** be present to lower various shields that can only be erected or raised by the peculiar form of magic that only goblins can perform. They wouldn't go so far as to say that their security is flawless but they are confidant that it cannot be bypassed by magic, whether Voldemort is sticking out of the back of your head or not.

After passing on the security of the vault Harry told his account manager that it was to be placed under the name of Jacob Andrews. He did this for two reasons. The first and foremost is that although he was extremely pissed at what his parents had done he had no wish to see them and their children in poverty since they no longer had access to the Potter family vault and he was pretty sure it would be rather hard for two 'dead' people to come up with a job any time soon. The second reason is quite simply really, his younger brother is the only one of them that he had gotten a name from. While he knew that they went by the last name Andrews he had no clue as to what his parents had been calling themselves for the last fourteen years and since they would probably wait sometime before allowing others to know of their survival it would look just a bit odd if he opened an account under his parent's name.

Twenty minutes later all the paperwork was filled out and all details would be finalized at the beginning of the business day when the funds would be transferred to their new location. The two had just left the room with Griphook leading the way through the winding corridors when a sudden burst of flames sent Harry dropping to the floor. Before he had even hit the ground he had both of his wands drawn and was looking around wildly for the source of the attack. Griphook was looking at him with what he thought was an amused expression on his face while Fawkes landed on the ground and waddled up to his side. Harry looked at him in annoyance for a moment before he noticed the note clasped in his beak. Carefully taking the offered note he unfolded it and as he read on he groaned out loud but it quickly turned into growl of anger.

_H_

_Diagon Ally under attack, strength of forces unknown. Moving to intercept, could use all help available._

Given the fact that the note was delivered by Fawkes he didn't need to pay attention to the handwriting to know who it came from. Almost without thinking Harry conjured a quill and added his own message to the note before giving it back to the ancient phoenix.

"Take this directly to Snape, as fast as you can." The bird nodded once before taking flight again and vanishing in a flash of red and gold. After quickly telling Griphook what was going on Harry took off at a fast run back down the corridor he had first come in through. Luckily he managed to find the lobby once again without getting lost. Unlike the rows of offices behind him the lobby was bustling with activity as dozens of goblins ran back and forth between various counters that had already been set up for the day and removed currency that would be used for exchanges and withdrawals small enough that they didn't merit a time consuming trip to the vaults.

Along the walls Goblins dressed in armor and carrying long sharpened pikes stood ramrod straight as they waited incase the bank itself came under attack. Although much smaller than an average sized man, these warriors certainly didn't look like easy targets. Besides their long spears each goblin seemed to be covered in various styles of blades to use if their primary weapon was to prove to be ineffective during any given engagement. Shaking his head and putting the small warriors out of his mind Harry swiftly made his way towards the front entrance that was closed barricaded and guarded.

"Open the door!" He growled out as he looked each guard in the face. They did not appear to be intimidated but they were obviously curious as to what Harry thought he could do to help the situation by himself. He was, after all, the bloody 'boy-who-lived' and even the goblins had heard of his many encounters with Voldemort and his Death Eaters over the years. They were relishing the idea of seeing him in action so they could see if he lived up to his reputation or if he was merely a creation of a sensation seeking media.

"Lord Potter, we cannot allow you to leave here unprotected." Harry spun around and found Griphook standing behind him. at first Harry didn't understand what he had said because he was still trying to figure out how he had caught up with him so quickly.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked heatedly after he decided to ignore Griphook's sudden appearance for now and stick with the situation at hand.

"Quite simple really, while conducting business all customers, no matter who they are, are under our protection. Your business is not yet concluded so we cannot allow you to leave unprotected until the current hostilities have ceased." Griphook informed him calmly but that only served to raise Harry's anger.

"Look. I don't care what your policies are. People are being killed out there and I'm not going to just sit around and do nothing when there is even the remotest chance that I could help."

"I never said that you must stay inside My Lord. I merely informed you that we could not allow you to leave unprotected. You shall go with an escort or not at all." He said before snapping his fingers loudly. As if it were a normal spoken command three of the goblin guards standing against the wall marched over to Griphook's side to await instructions. "Lord Potter, these warriors are now responsible for your life. I would suggest that you do nothing to stupid that would cause permanent injury or they will be held responsible." Griphook explained after speaking with Harry's new bodyguards in the goblin language of Gobbledgook. (I have no idea if I spelled that correctly or not so give me a break)

Harry, of course, tried to refuse Griphook's demand but nothing he could say would sway him. Finally the two guards at the doors pushed it open just enough for Harry and his 'entourage' to get through. Harry cast several invisibility charms on himself and the goblins as well as notice me not charms just in case. A clever bit of goblin magic allowed the four to see each other despite the charms that now hid them from the eyes of others. With everything in order he slipped through the opening in the door and got his first look at the chaos that had descended upon Diagon Ally.

It did not appear that a very large force, just a few dozen Death Eaters had been sent. Considering how early they attacked there should have only shopkeepers and maybe a few early risers in the district so they would not have found very much resistance so there was absolutely no point in showing just how much their ranks have grown over the last few months. Unfortunately, for everyone involved, they were wrong. Due to an increase of suspected Death Eater activity and Harry admitted with sadness, his own raids into Knockturn Ally, many people seemed to arrive early to do their shopping when the stores first opened in the hopes that they would be safe if they arrived early and left quickly. The result was anarchy.

People were running in all directions as curses could be seen flying this way and that, hitting people and shops alike. The old cobblestone streets were already littered with the motionless bodies of the dead and Harry knew that before this morning was over many more would likely join them. Without so much as a second thought Harry drew his new Basilisk fang wand and moved swiftly down the marble steps of Gringotts and into the streets that now served as an impromptu battlefield. Smoke that was billowing from numerous shops and restaurants and filled the streets with the putrid smell of burning potions ingredients and animals as both the Apothecary and Magical Menagerie went up in flames. After a quick thought Harry cast the bubblehead charm on himself and breathed in a deep breathe once he had a supply of fresh air once again.

He ran from the steps of the wizard's bank to the side of Flourish and Blott's bookstore and was able to stun three Death Eaters who were stupid enough to wonder to far from the bulk of Voldemort's followers. Although it is considered dark magic, Harry had no problem using the same stunning spell he had used on Kingsley Shacklebolt the night before in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. He decided that although it took more magical energy to cast the fact that the Death Eaters could not be awaken by a simply _Enervate _charm. The unfortunate part of this plan is that invisibility shields cannot hold up while you are performing bits of strong magic, so naturally Harry's shields fell, leaving him exposed to possible attack. As he peeked out from the side of the building he couldn't help but wonder where Dumbledore was. The man knew of the attack before he did so why hadn't he arrived yet.

Using the buildings along the street and the panicked atmosphere to avoid being seen, Harry and his 'protectors' moved up the ally towards the primary concentration of Death Eaters. A short yelp of pain followed by a quiet gurgling sound caused him to spin around just in time to see a man in the black robes that marked Voldemort's followers slumping to the ground with a vicious wound in the side of his chest. His white mask had fallen off as he hit the ground revealing a face that Harry was not familiar with. Looking behind the man he saw one of his goblin body guards wiping the blood off of the blade of his spear with an emotionless expression on his face. Harry nodded to him and his two companions sharply in appreciation before turning back around and moving forward once again.

"Lord Potter!" One of the goblins called out from behind him. when he had the young man's attention he pointed to the shop just a little ahead of them on the other side of the street, 'Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions'. Several Death Eaters were basically herding over two dozen witches and wizards into the store one or two at a time, each being checked thoroughly. to make sure they didn't have a wand hidden on them. Harry simple could not understand what they hoped to accomplish with this until they had closed the doors and sealed all exits and windows. Quite a few of the dark wizards were standing outside on the street laughing as three of their comrades began firing incendiary hexes at the building, setting it on fire. Harry's face went ghost white as he heard the screams of pain and terror echo out onto the streets as the Death Eaters watched their handiwork with smug satisfaction.

Harry's horror of the situation quickly gave way to anger. Clenching his teeth tightly he stepped out of his place of cover and took careful aim at the ground just behind his three targets. With a whispered word the largest explosion hex he had cast thus far erupted from his wand as it buckled in his hand due to the massive amount of energy Harry had focused into the curse. When the curse struck the ground at the men's feet stone and men alike were thrown into the air and were either thrown into the walls of nearby buildings or came crashing back down to the hard unforgiving ground. Many of the Death Eaters cheered at the sound of the explosion and the sight it produced, obviously believing that one of their own had caused the destruction. Not really paying attention to his surroundings, Harry ran across the remainder of the street and blasted the door out of its frame before stepping inside.

For the next few minutes Harry had to help many of the people to leave the store since they had been breathing smoky air for a while and could not move very far on their own, all the while the goblins were standing at the ready just outside the door incase any more Death Eaters came their way. Many of those inside were the same shopkeepers that were looking at him with suspicion when he first arrived in Diagon Ally that morning but that suspicion was now gone, replaced by a look of supreme gratitude. After everyone was out he learned that they were all pretty much stuck there. Each of them had tried to apperated away on numerous occasions but they all failed, the same was true with portkeys and the floo network. Three of them had even managed to make it to the entrance that connected Diagon Ally with the Leaky Cauldron only to find that it had some how been disabled. They were, in effect, prisoners. There had been a time when Harry would have demanded to know why they had simply tried to run away instead of fighting the enemy and possibly driving them off but now he knew better. Not everyone was suited for fighting, in fact most people had never been in a duel in their lives and wouldn't know what to do if they were forced into such a situation. Between the choices of running with a good chance of living or staying to fight with a nearly one hundred percent chance of being killed most rational people would certainly chose to run.

Before they separated Harry had instructed them to head towards the Gringotts side of the ally since there were no longer any Death Eaters in that direction before he himself headed off into the opposite direction. He had not gotten far before he stopped suddenly when he thought he saw a familiar face lying on the ground with her head resting in a pool of her own blood. He gently turned her over and his suspicions were confirmed when he got a good look at her. Marietta Edgecrombe looked pale as a ghost and the deep gash on the side of her head certainly wasn't doing her any favors. As an off the wall thought Harry noticed that she had been able to remove the scars that had appeared on her face after she informed Deloris Umbridge of the D.A. during the last term at Hogwarts thus breaking her oath of silence. Although it resulted in Dumbledore being driven from the school and him nearly getting expelled he still thought it was a harsh punishment. After all, both her parents worked for the Ministry and Fudge and Umbridge could and would have punished her parents in some way if she did not cooperate with them.

Harry certainly was no healer but even with his mediocre knowledge on the subject he could easily tell that the young Ravenclaw was in bad condition. He glanced at the bodies that lay around and he silently prayed that they were not her family, no child should have to watch a parent die at such a young age no matter who they are or what their parents have done. That was the only reason he had to regret taking the lives of Death Eaters. With the anti-portkey and apperation wards it could be some time before help arrived so Harry made a split second decision and removed his own emergency portkey from his robes as he thanked any listening deity that his portkeys were able to go through any standard wards. The moment it was fastened to the front of Marietta's robes it scanned her condition and after getting the full extent of her injuries it activated and she was transported to Harry's home where he hoped she would be able to get healthy once again. Not long after he had sent Marietta on her way slight pops could be heard as a dozen figures all dressed in green battlerobes began appearing along the street catching the attention of the Death Eaters.

"Oh shit!" Harry growled as he saw many making their way towards some of the new arrivals. They had no choice but to use their portkeys to arrive but unfortunately they drew to much attention and found themselves under attack almost immediately. Many of the shoppers or shopkeepers that were still fighting looked on at these people with more than a little suspicion but since they were also fighting the Death Eaters they seemed to take to heart the old proverb 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' and began fighting their way towards these people that appeared to be much more skilled in the dueling arts then they were and if they turned their wands on them after the dark wizards were defeated then they would deal with that if the situation arose.

The group of 'Raiders' quickly regrouped after they arrived and formed themselves up into a wide arch formation in front of Quality Quiditch Supplies. From this position someone from within their group could see every curse cast at them from every direction with the store serving to protect their backs. After getting organized Snape began barking orders at those around them and they slowly began taking short steps forward in each of their given directions so that their protective arch began to expand as they began to cut down those that challenged them. The only problem with this strategy was that as they got farther apart large gapes began to form between each person giving the Death Eaters easier targets. However that particular problem was solved when many pedestrians made their way to them and began taking up positions within the gaps.

Seeing that the attention was now in the opposite direction Harry decided to take advantage of the fact that his enemies now had their backs to him and he began to silently stun as many as he could as he made his way forward. The goblins had spread out to either side of him and were quickly and methodically 'eliminating' those that stood in their way. Three or four had turned in their direction and spotted them but before they could cry out in alarm the nearest goblin would thrust out his hand, sending the man flying before crashing back to the ground in much the same fashion he had remembered seeing Dobby do to Lucius Malfoy at the end of his second year. The only difference he could see was that the goblins appeared to be much more powerful and when the Death Eaters landed they did not get up again. Unfortunately it was not long before they were discovered and they found themselves on the receiving end.

Seeing no other choice, Harry drew his phoenix feather wand and cast various shield charms with it in his left hand while returning curses with his other wand in his right. Thanks to Bill Harry was now able to perform many defensive spells with little to no wand movements so the lack of perfect coordination in his left hand wasn't really a problem when it came to simple shield charms or spells like stunners and disarming curses. For anything major however he still needed to use his right hand and the wand movements until he has trained himself much harder.

The goblins themselves didn't seem to need the shields at all, instead they used their spears to block spells while sending out strong pulses of magical energy at their attackers. Harry quickly discovered that they were just as deadly with the smaller blades that they carried as they were with either their spears or their magic. They showed no emotion as they slashed and blasted away any opponent that stood in their way and Harry was greatly relieved that they were there to help him not as his enemy. In an act of desperation the Death Eaters abandoned all use of subtlety and began to use nothing but the killing curse. While it would drain their energy at a greatly accelerated rate they felt they had nothing to lose. If they were defeated they would either be killed or shipped off to Azkaban and neither was on their top ten things to do list. It would take them at least five minutes to lower the wards they had erected so they simply could not escape considering it was five minute that they did not have. No, their only choice was to end this fight quickly and escape before the Ministry or Dumbledore were to show up.

With many of the Death Eaters turning to meet this new threat the pressure that had been pressing in on Snape and the others was declining and they were easily able to push forward at an easier pace than before. With them pressed together in the streets, with store fronts on either side and witches and wizards to their backs and fronts, many of the Death Eaters became confused at whom they should fight and some even began to panic, both certainly gave Harry and Snape the advantage as they both pushed their groups into the enemy ranks.

With nothing but killing curses being thrown Harry and the goblins were not making as much progress as Snape but they were still moving forward and felling their opponents. It had only been ten minutes since Snape arrived and the Death Eaters' numbers were already down to just under a dozen. Even though they were now outnumbered and outclassed the dark wizards simply would not give up. They certainly seemed to be the type that believes in Voldemort's cause with every breath they breath and dying for it would be an honor for them. Harry snorted in disgust at the blind loyalty they people show Tom Riddle when a flash of green light caught his attention. His eyes went wide as he turned his head and saw the curse speeding towards his stomach. Just before he was about to jump out of its way he was roughly shoved to the ground. A mere second later a soft thump reached his ears and he looked over to see one of his goblin bodyguards laying on the ground with blank lifeless eyes. Harry just stared into his eyes for a few moments as he felt the now familiar wave of guilt at being the cause of another death before he had to jump out of the way of yet another curse. He would have plenty of time alone with his conscious later but at the moment he had things to do.

Seeing their comrade fall, the remaining two goblins fought all the more harder and when Harry rejoined them they began to push themselves forward yet again. Being virtually surrounded the Death eaters had no chance at all and within a few more minutes every one of them were lying on the ground either dead, stunned or disarmed and nursing painful injury. Looking around at the now quiet street Harry's eyes scanned over several dozen bodies lying in the street, most of them innocent people who came this morning because they thought it would be safer to come in the morning. Those that had been on the other end of the street to get away from the fighting were now filtering back out and checking the bodies for loved ones, survivors or to help to put out the fires that had been started in a number of shops. A few just seemed to be hoping from one person to the next helping to heal any injury they could before moving on to the next. With a sad shake of his head he made his way over to where a few of his fellow 'raiders' stood talking as they helped Bill lower the wards surrounding the ally.

"Did we lose anyone?" He asked in a somber tone to no one in particular since he couldn't see their faces.

"No, a few of the shoppers that joined us were killed or injured but the rest of us only have minor injuries except Dung who has a broken arm and a burnt hand." Harry recognized the quiet voice as belonging to John Marks, probably the best fighter among Dung's friends and second only to Bill and maybe Snape.

"Alright, lets start cleaning this up and help the wounded. Bind a few of the Death Eaters and we'll take them with us and leave the rest for the Ministry." The man nodded and Harry walked off back down the road to where the body of the dead goblin still laid. After taking a deep breath and releasing it in a useless effort to control his emotions he levitated the still body and made his way back to Gringotts. After depositing the body on an empty table Harry approached the bank manager Draas Bullgluk who was off to the side speaking with some rather 'noble' looking goblins. When they noticed his approach they suddenly became silent and turned their gazes towards him. normally such an action would either make him nervous or infuriate him but he was to tired, both physically and emotionally.

Without waiting for an introduction to the unknown goblins or even your normal formalities he told Bullgluk that for the services Gringotts had given him that morning that should they come across any problems he would be more than willing to help if it is within his power to do so and since a goblin gave his life to protect his he would do the same if the situation were to arise. Without waiting for a reply from the stunned goblins Harry turned on his heel and marched back out the doors and on to the street. The goblins looked back and forth at each other with stunned expressions on their faces. Many of their kind have died protecting their clients over the years but never has any human made such a pledge to a goblin before as a result of it. Each one of them decided that perhaps Harry Potter was Much more than he seems.

XXX

When Harry made it back down the street he rolled his eyes and groaned as he saw that the entrance between the ally and the Leaky Cauldron had been opened up again and none other than Cornelius Fudge had just walked through right behind Dumbledore among others. Several mediwizards and witches were now circulating among the wounded and have the most critical sent to Saint Mungo's Hospital immediately. He saw to hooded people come in right behind Albus and he had a sneaking suspicion of just who they were. He walked quickly over to two of his men who were standing over ten bound Death Eaters and asked if they were ready to go.

"Well we have the portkeys Twinkle made on them already but they can't go through the so we have to wait on Bill. From what I hear he's almost done though."

"Good, we need to get out of here as soon as possible before I kill the little bureaucrat." Harry sighed but clenched his teeth when he saw Fudge followed by Dumbledore coming his way.

"YOU," He yelled causing a good amount a spit to go flying from his lips. "Who are you?" He demanded as he came to a stop directly in front of Harry. He couldn't help but curse the world for his luck. Of all the people on the street he just had to walk up to him.

"Who I am is my own business." Harry answered as he turned his back on the man. Fudge began to sputter as his face turned red in anger.

"I am the Minister of Magic! You WILL show me the proper amount of respect." Harry stoped in mid step before turning around slowly. Bill caught his attention for a moment and signaled that he had disabled the wards so he decided to have a little fun with little Fudgey

"I will agree that the Minister of Magic should be shown respect. After all it is a very important not to mention very stressful position. But like everyone else in this society, you must first show respect for others before you are entitled to respect of your own. You show no respect to anyone because you feel that because of your position you are somehow above them. You feel you are entitled to everything but you give nothing in return. As I said before, a Minister should be treated with respect, if he first shows respect to his position and to the people that put him in that office. You have done neither so I will be on my way now." Harry said before walking back over to where their ten prisoners were being held. "Alright, stand them up and lets go." He ordered in a voice loud enough for Fudge to hear and he didn't have to wait long before he began yelling once more.

"You can't take those prisoners anywhere. Aurors, arrest that man!" The Aurors that surrounded Fudge as his personal guard looked at Harry and the others that were moving towards him and finally at all the Death Eaters they had either captured or killed before deciding to stay put.

"Really, and if I don't take them then where would they go?" Harry asked in a fake curious voice.

"They will be held at the Ministry to await trial." Fudge answered.

"Will it be before the trial or during that you and your friends testify on their behalf. You did the same for Malfoy and his little buddies after he made some very generous contributions to your administration. I'm terribly sorry Cornelius but I will just have to keep them myself, I wouldn't want you to set them free so soon after killing so many." Harry sneered and seconds later they were all gone, leaving an irate Minister and several grinning reporters behind.

TBC

I hope to have another chapter out in the next few days but no promises. At the moment I'm at the end of a 43 hour day so my mind isn't exactly working as it is supposed to. It took me a whopping two hours to write this chapter so I'm sure that after I get some sleep I'll come back and find that it is absolute crap and have to re due it so as I said, no promises on the next chapter. Either in the next few days or sometime next week. Good night.

PS. Oh yeah I forgot to mention, the forth bride is going to be Marietta Edgecrombe for Ravenclaw. I was going to have it as someone else but after thinking about it a great deal I decided against her because it would cause to many problems but I also didn't want to do the normal Ravenclaw ships like with Cho, Luna or Padma Patil. So I am going with Cho's friend since she is the only other Ravenclaw I can think of at the moment. Good night.


	16. State of Emergency

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr23**

**Chapter Sixteen: State of Emergency **

Dumbledore sat in his office while he massaged the sides of his head. Currently his office was full of his colleagues and various Ministry officials, all demanding to know the identity of the mysterious fighters who stopped the attack on Diagon Ally. While he always delighted in knowing what others did not this was one situation that he was forced to play ignorant on. He could fully understand everyone's confusion and their demand for answers but they were really beginning to get on his nerves.

"SILENCE!" He roared and within an instant the office seemed to have fell victim to a rather powerful silencing charm. Of course that was only because no one wanted to anger an already annoyed Albus Dumbledore. "Now, as I said before, I have no answers to offer you. This is as much of a mystery to me as it is to you. So if you are here simply to demand these people's identity you might as well leave now, because I don't know." Moody and McGonagall stood off to the side and wore identical smirks as everyone began shouting more and more questions despite Dumbledore's denial. Knowing full well who they were, they were more than content to sit back and watch their boss get mobbed by those that thought he knew everything. Remus stood towards the back of the room and looked at Albus with a curious expression. Being that he and Moody were the only ones present when Harry suggested making battlerobes out of the Basilisk skin, he was naturally suspicious concerning the 'magnificent' battlerobes the fighters in question were reported to have been wearing.

"ALRIGHT NOW THAT'S ENOUGH!" The Headmaster shouted as the questions seemed to have no end. "Now, I will kindly ask you all to bugger off." He said irritably causing most of those within the room to look at him in shock for his use of language and the only sound that could be heard was Moody's loud bark of laughter. "Alister, Minerva, Remus and the two of you," he said while looking toward the two hooded figures standing in the corner. "Please stay behind." It seemed that with the mob of people within the office these two people had avoided Moody's attention. Now that everyone else was leaving and Dumbledore basically pointed them out they now held his full attention. As his magical gaze focused on the pair he saw through their dark hoods and his breath caught in his throat and his eyes went wide in disbelief. The moment the office door slammed shut the man shot out of his chair and aimed his wand at the two of them.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" He demanded loudly causing McGonagall to jump in surprise and Remus to look at the two in suspicion as he slowly put more distance between them. Albus seemed to find the situation humorous and looked on with the customary twinkle in his eyes.

"Why don't the two of you sit down and join us?" McGonagall and Remus looked between Moody, the two unknowns and Dumbledore in confusion while Alister stared at the Headmaster in disbelief at his apparent acceptance of the situation. James and Lily looked at each of the people around them in trepidation before lowering their hoods. Had it been under any other circumstances they would have found their reactions quite humorous but given the situation that humor was replaced with fear.

McGonagall actually fainted but the real surprise was Remus. At first his face had gone chalk white but that had quickly given way to rage. After waking McGonagall and ordering Moody to lower his wand Dumbledore with the help of the Potters once again explained what had happened and where they had been for the last fourteen years. Like everyone else that had been told, each of them were very angry at their deception and their 'cowardice' as Moody put it. Remus' reaction was surprising, though not altogether unexpected. When James finished telling their story he seemed to lose control of his normally tightly leashed temper and damn near beat James into the ground before storming out of the room. But as angry as they were, none of them felt the same deep sense of betrayal that Harry had felt.

XXX

Geoffrey Stevens stood at the head of the meeting hall within the Department of Mysteries with an unreadable expression on his face. After the initial shock, panic and anger over the attack on Diagon Ally he had called a full meeting of the Corps of Unspeakables. This included recalling all field personnel and commanders. To make sure that no one was tipped off about the true nature of this meeting his secretary has orders to send out the required paperwork to both Fudge and Dumbledore just as the meeting got under way.

He watched quietly as his Unspeakables began to filter in after depositing their wands at the door, as was their custom, speaking to each other in hushed whispers as they tried to determine just what their boss thought was important enough to recall all of their forces. Nearly ten minutes later everyone was seated and he looked out over the nearly three hundred faces staring back at him. He paused for a moment on the twenty or thirty figures in the back that were wearing dark clothing and hoods that were charmed to hide their appearance. But unlike most charms not even Moody's magical eye could penetrate their disguises. These were the best the Department of Mysteries had to offer and they were trusted with the most sensitive missions and assignments. Unlike the rest, these men and women sat in absolute silence and made no movements or gestures that could possibly aid those seeking their true identities. No one with the exception of Stevens was permitted to know who they truly were.

After looking into the eyes of everyone present he decided that even if they all turned out to be loyal this night would still serve a purpose. Potter found a flaw in their security and he pointed it out, a flaw they should never have allowed to grow into what it was today. Taking a deep breath he stepped up to the podium that had just risen out of the floor at the head of the hall. Despite all his experience talking to groups he was certainly not looking forward to this speech.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, for centuries the Department of Mysteries has been held as the most honored and celebrated department in the Ministry. And among its many employees the Unspeakables stand out as its shining star. The only thing that eclipses your dedication is the honor in which you go about your work." Here he paused for a bit as many within the room stood up and cheered at his words or praise. After a few quick moments he raised his hands and called for silence.

"For sixty years I served as an Unspeakable and it was this Corps that held Grindlewald at bay until Albus Dumbledore could defeat him. It was this Corps that took the fight to the enemy when Voldemort first tried to gain power, and we will do so again. Unfortunately, the honor and respect fought for and earned by those that came before us has recently come in to question." The room was absolutely silent for some time before many began protesting this statement and demanding to know who dared to question their loyalty.

"Unfortunately three of the most prominent members of magical Britain have either straight out accused us of illegal activity or have acted in a fashion that would lend credibility to these claims.

Harry Potter, as you know, killed twelve of our number single handedly. He claims that the men he killed were Death Eaters that were holding him and others captive and of course Albus Dumbledore believes his story. And Cornelius Fudge continues to hold Adam McNair at an undisclosed location to prevent him from talking to anyone. These are the facts and I don't like what they have added up to. I regret the actions I must now take but I see no other alternative." With his last somber word the doors at the back of the hall slammed back open and Amelia Bones strolled in with Kingsley Shacklebolt at her side. However it was the mass of armed Aurors that held the Unspeakables' attention.

Madam Bones and Shacklebolt reached the front of the room as the Aurors lined the walls with wands drawn incase anyone attempted to leave before being question. As if rehearsed the entire hall erupted at the same time shouting questions and demanding the removal of the Aurors, or at least their weapons. Stevens cast a sonorous charm on his throat and was able to get everyone under control in a matter of moments before continuing in a more somber voice.

"I regret that it has come to this. It has recently been brought to my attention how the Death Eaters could quite easily plant spies within the department. As a result of this new information I decided that everyone, agents and commanders alike, must be tested on a routine basis, myself included. Given the fact that I was planning on investigating corruption within the Corps it is quite obvious that I could not ask any of you to assist so I was forced to look for outside help. But before I could get that assistance I was forced to do something that hasn't been done in over four hundred years.

Less than five minutes ago the paperwork was sent to the offices of Minister Fudge and Chief Warlock Dumbledore explaining the situation and informing them that I have declared a state of emergency within the department." This time instead of the big boom of shouts and demands he had already received twice he was met with stone silence as everyone looked at him with dumbfounded expression. "From this very moment until the end of our investigation Madam Bones has direct control over the Department of Mysteries and her Aurors have the authorization to view any files pertinent to this case. Considering the seriousness of the situation you must cooperate with them or you will be treated as a possible Death Eater and await questioning in a holding cell.

You will all be questioned extensively under Veritaserum to determine your loyalties before you leave here today. The results will be placed in your records with those of your other interrogations. That is of course where we must make some exceptions for some of our other members." He said while looking at the hooded figures in the back once again. "You will all be question by only me, Madam Bones and Chief Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt. If you are proved to be innocent your transcript will be destroyed to keep your identities and the details of your 'projects' safe. They will both be placed under the strictest of secrecy charms to make sure that they can not reveal your identities to anyone else. Is that acceptable?" The cloaked figures seemed to look at each other for a moment before looking towards their boss and nodding slowly.

"Now, as for their wands," He began with a sigh when he saw many of his men still eyeing the Aurors with rage. "Since this wing of the Ministry was built over seven hundred years ago no weapon has ever been allowed to pass through that door. It is a tradition that we observe to show our respect and to honor those that have fought and died for the same cause that we still struggle with. However, all of the respect and honor in the world will mean nothing if we allow Death Eaters to infiltrate our ranks. I will admit that there is a very strong possibility that our interrogations will yield nothing. But for the sake of those that came before us and for those who will come after us we must make sure that this department is always secure." When he was finished he turned and nodded at Mrs. Bones who then signaled her Aurors.

About fifty of the men and women stepped forward to escort the twenty six commanders out of the room to be questioned. It was decided to start with them considering they would be the ones in the best positions to aid Voldemort. If they found a Death Eater among them it would stand to reason that he may have recruited others in to his own team so it shouldn't be very hard to track them down.

XXX

Everyone had decided to wait awhile before questioning the Death Eaters to give them time to rest and heal the wounds they had received during the fight. So with nothing else to do Harry decided to take a quick nap. When he woke and glanced at the clock on his bedside table he was quite surprised to see that it was already after two in the afternoon. Pulling himself out of bed he striped off his battlerobes and headed for his first destination. A hot shower.

An hour later Harry stumbled out of his room after sleeping off his fatigue for a few hours. Due to the grueling training Bill and Snape had been putting him through magical exhaustion was not really a danger except in the case of dueling for a very prolonged period of time. The same could be said for Blaise as well and Susan was making some outstanding progress. But during the attack Diagon Ally Harry had fallen victim to his greatest enemy. His own emotions.

Even after several weeks of having Snape and others 'attempting' to teach him how to control his emotions he wasn't making very much progress. Maybe it was a byproduct of his upbringing with the Dursley's but he had never been able to simply think things through when he was in an emotional state. This was the problem that left Harry so drained that afternoon. He had let his anger run wild and as a result many of his spells were drawing to much energy out of him and as the fight continued he was quickly growing weaker. When they arrived back at the house Snape, Steven and Juan escorted their prisoners down to the basement where they were to be held under guard. Steven and Juan were twin brothers that had moved to England four years before from Spain. They had many of the same odd habits as the Weasley twins but unlike their red headed counterparts they did not have a mind for pranks. Instead they usually passed the time by picking arguments with each other that usually escalated into a full out brawl. Needless to say, Snape wasn't overly fond of them. As he walked down the hallway a sudden thought occurred to him.

"Twinkle!" He called out and without a moment going by the little elf was at his side. Seeing that she still wasn't able to look him in the eye caused Harry to sigh. "Twinkle, I want to apologize for my reaction last night. I should have known that if you let anyone in this house that you had obviously had a good reason." He stopped as Twinkle looked up at him with wide horrified eyes.

"Master Harry should not apologize to Twinkle. I is your servant and does not deserve it. I put Master Harry and friends in danger by my actions." She sobbed when her knees seemed to give out and she feel to the floor and cried as if her world had just come crashing down around her. Not knowing what else to do, Harry dropped down to one knee before helping her up. He held her by the shoulders to prevent her from falling again before he spoke up again.

"I may technically be your master, but my 'father' is as well, or at least he used to be. At the time you had to follow his orders just as you much follow mine. You had no other choice. I was angry at you because I thought I knew what was going on but had no real understanding of the situation. You did nothing wrong." It took quite a few more minutes to calm the elf down but Harry breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she finally excepted the fact that he wasn't going to punish or dismiss her.

"I sent a wounded girl back here during the fight, was someone able to get her healed?"

"Yes, Beckle found her in the entrance hall just after Mr. Snape and the others left. At first we thought she was a bad witch that had managed to get through the wards but when we saw she was injured and had your portkey we set her up in one of the guest rooms and Beckle is seeing to her needs." At the mention of the strange name Harry suddenly remembered that there was more than one house elf on the property and decided that it would only be good manners to introduce himself as so as possible. After Twinkle told him which room Marietta was resting they parted ways and Harry headed to the guest room on the second floor. When he got to the door he was suddenly forced with a moral dilemma. Since it was in fact a girl that was currently staying in that room one would think it would be polite to knock incase she was awake and not properly attired. On the other she had sustained numerous injuries and knocking could wake her from a restful sleep. In the end he decided to forego being polite.

Opening the door slowly, to prevent the hinges from squeaking to loudly, he stepped in side the semi dark room and closed the door behind him. It appeared that Beckle was out of the room for the time being so Harry decided to just run a few monitoring charms over the sleeping girl to see how her injuries were healing. Standing next to the queen sized four poster bed he removed his wand and quickly jumped back when a loud shriek echoed through the room. Stumbling back in shock he tripped over the small chair that the elf had apparently been using and he went crashing to the floor, tipping over a small table as he went down. A sudden pop filled the air and Twinkle as well as another elf appeared in the center of the room and looked ready for a fight if it came to one. After quickly surveying the room the two relaxed and the unknown elf approached the bed.

"That was not really necessary now what it?" The elf, presumable Beckle, said in a stern fashion as she checked to make sure the girl had not reopened any of the wounds that were in the process of healing. After nodding in satisfaction at the progress the creature turned to Harry who just now getting up off the floor. "And you, I will not have you disturbing my patient. She still needs plenty of rest." She said sharply and Harry's jaw dropped open in surprise at the elf's attitude and he was suddenly having Madam Pomfrey flashbacks. Marietta was watching him intently the whole time and she couldn't help but feel that there was something familiar about him. She knew that they had met before but she just couldn't place it at the moment. To give her credit she had just woken up after she was almost killed and the last time she saw him his face was not covered in scars and a scarf that crossed over his right eye.

"Sorry, I was just making sure she was alright. But if you ladies will excuse me I will be on my way." Harry bowed in an exaggerated way before turning and walking to the door. As he open the door and when the light from the hallway poured inside Marietta got a good look at him and her face went white as a sheet.

"Harry Potter!" She whispered loudly to herself in a harsh and frightened tone. Harry looked back over to her and raised his left eyebrow slightly. "Are you going to kill me?" She asked meekly as she diverted her eyes in fear.

"Yes, I'm going to kill you." He answered in a deadpan voice causing the girl to gasp deeply. "I saved your life and sent you here to get healed up because I like my victims to be in perfect health when I kill them." He finished sarcastically before leaving the room.

"Afternoon." Harry greeted grumpily as he flopped down into his chair at the dinning room table. His stomach let out a deep rumbling growl and he could only thank Merlin that he had not slept through lunch. Everyone greeted him in return but it was clear their thoughts were on something other than lunch at the moment but no one seemed to want to be the one to bring it up. Sighing in annoyance Harry put his utensils down and looked around the room.

"What is it?" He asked quietly but still no one answered. The dozen or so people present just looked around at each other before they all seemed to come to the same conclusion and turned their attention to Snape. The potions master looked confused for a moment before he realized that he had just been 'volunteered' to broach the subject. After grunting in anger he turn towards Harry.

"Potter, we were merely wondering when and how you managed to acquire that eye of yours when the only time you have left this house, before this morning, was when we went to confiscate the Dark Lord's supplies?"

"It was given to Dumbledore by Mad Eye. He cast a few charms on it so that it was the right size and color then he sent it to me. I received it just before Bill, Dung and the others arrived." He answered truthfully since he figured there was no point in lying about something so trivial.

"Well why couldn't you tell us about, what was the point in hiding it?" Blaise asked heatedly and Susan and a few others nodded in agreement.

"For one thing, I wanted no one to know because it would give me a big edge if every fight I went into, including those I fought with any of you for training, my opponents would underestimate me, thinking that my vision had been hindered. Secondly, if everyone knew about the new eye there would be no real point in me wearing this scarf any longer. And as you can see," He said as he removed the scarf exposing the serious spider web patterned scar that spread around half of his right eye and out to his temple and down to his cheekbone. "As you can see this scarf covers the ugliest of my collection. Now if you will excuse me, I have a few things to do. And I trust that you will never mention this conversation again, to me or anyone else." He finished waspishly when he realized exactly what he had just said. He looked at each of them for a brief time before picking up a sandwich and entering the sitting room to relax and eat by himself in peace. As he sat down he dropped his food onto the table. Before taking his scarf in his hand once again he ran his fingers over the scared flesh that he wished he could hide on a permanent basis. As a few tears rolled down his cheek he roughly tide his scarf around his head and tied it tightly before burying his head in his hands in the hopes of stemming off another breakdown.

Not long after Harry left the room Blaise followed after him to make sure he was all right. They should have all realized that he wasn't taking the disfigurement of his face as well as he claimed. She reached the sitting room door just as Harry was touching his face and was about to enter when his depression seemed to temporarily give way to anger. Seeing him struggling with his emotions she decided to just leave the room. Most would probably just charge in there and try to comfort him in some way but Blaise knew Harry well enough to know that company was the last thing he wanted or needed.

XXX

"What the devil is going on here?" Cornelius Fudge shouted as he stormed into the meeting hall just minutes after the Unspeakable commanders were taken away for questioning. Everyone looked at the irate Minister with a large amount of annoyance and even a bit of contempt. He was not highly regarded within the Ministry outside of his usual sycophants and the two departments that felt the most heat due to his ridiculous decrees and new policies was the Department of Mysteries and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. So it should go without saying that he was not about to win a popularity vote in that particular room. Aurors and Unspeakables alike just turned back to their own thoughts or to the conversations going on around them as long as it pulled their attention away from the pudgy little man at the back of the hall. Fudged huffed in anger before stomping up to the head of the room like a two year old intent on throwing a temper tantrum.

"Now see here, when I ask a question I demand the answer immediately."

"Well why start off a conversation by demanding an answer that you already have?" Madam Bones asked as she raised an eyebrow, earning chuckles throughout the crowd, even a few from some of Fudge's personal guard.

"You did, after all, recently receive my report about my concerns and details about the steps that I intended to take. You did read it didn't you?" Stevens asked in mock concern while the Minister's face turned purple and he began sputtering like a fool.

"Of course I read it…" He was quickly cut off by Stevens' immediately reply.

"Then why did you ask?" He asked in confusion.

"QUIET!" Fudge yelled in rage. He clearly didn't like people making him look like a fool. "I demand that you cease this ridiculous investigation. The very idea of Unspeakables joining the Death Eaters is utterly preposterous. I will not have…" What he was going to say no one knew because his words were cut off when the side door slammed open and a rather white faced Auror rushed out.

"My dear boy, what is the matter?" Stevens asked in a grandfatherly way but he was extremely uneasy about what he had to say.

"We actually found one, two in fact. They both readily admit to serving the Dark Lord." The young Auror said in a shocked tone. Both Stevens and Madam Bones paled slightly at the news. While it was a possibility that needed to be investigated neither had any real belief that they would uncover anything that reflected negatively on the department. "And there's more Sir, Ma'am, you are going to have to hear this for yourself." He added quietly.

"Very well. Auror Shacklebolt, you are now in charge here, if anyone tries to escape this room you now have the authority to use deadly force if necessary. Lead the way young man." Stevens said and Madam Bones nodded in agreement. With this new information circulating through the room no one seemed to notice Fudge beating a hasty retreat. The Auror turned back around and quickly led the two through the corridors to the interrogation rooms on the other side of the complex. In no time at all the found themselves in a long corridor that's walls were nearly covered with transparent charms with guards standing outside the doors to each one.

"Which one son."

"Numbers eleven and twelve Sir."

"Thank you, you may return to your post." The Auror nodded and retook his place outside of the door marked by the number eleven. The two department heads looked through the charmed wall and Stevens lowered his head and sighed in sadness.

"Commander Tyler. He was a very promising agent." Was all he said before turning around to look through the wall behind him. At first the man didn't seem to register what he was looking at, he brain just seemed to shut down as he looked at the man sitting against the opposite wall. Senior Commander Jonathan Tomes was Stevens' top lieutenant and he had planned on recommending him to be the new head of the department when he retired. It appeared that that would no longer be the case. He quietly opened the door and stepped inside with Amelia right behind him. Without looking at his long time friend he got down to business.

"The young man outside said that there was something I needed to hear, what is it?" The Auror that had been questioning the man jumped slightly at the interruption but quickly composed himself when he saw who had entered the room without him knowing. He stood up and bowed to them both slightly in respect before answering.

"Well Sir, Ma'am, it would appear that Harry Potter is not as guilty as Fudge claims. And from what I was able to gather, the Minister has been acting with underhanded intentions. Commander Tyler doesn't think that Fudge is a Death Eater but he has obviously aided them on several occasions in exchange for either gold or for help in silencing some of his most outspoken critics."

"He was right!" Stevens mumbled to himself as he sank into the chair that Auror Green had just vacated. Although he didn't like what he found and he certainly didn't like the way the idea had been placed in his head he couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude to Harry Potter for getting this information to him even though he used very unconventional means. Placing his head in his hands the old Unspeakable sighed deeply asking the Auror to tell him everything he had discovered.

TBC

I know this chapter is rather short but if I kept going from here I would end up writing a twenty five page chapter. While that is fairly common in my other stories I plan to keep this one at or just above six thousand words per chapter so that I don't waste all my ideas on one big one and then have no idea how to proceed from there. I keep writing after I post this and hopefully will have another update in just two or three days.

**BIRTH OF THE PHOENIX: **I have not abandoned that story I have just had a severe case of writers block where it is concerned. I have already got a few pages typed up but I don't know where to go from there at the moment. Rest assured that I will continue and finish it.

**LORD OF AZKABAN SEQUEL: **I have been getting a ton of e-mail demanding that I continue the story beyond the four parts I have already posted. Due to the fact that it got a surprising response and the persistence of many of its readers I have decided to write a full length sequel. It will take some time to come up with a decent storyline but I promise I will get it done although **The New Order **and **Birth of the Phoenix **will remain my top priorities for the time being.


	17. Working for the Ministry?

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr23**

**Chapter Seventeen: Working for the Ministry?**

Geoffrey Stevens stalked quickly through the halls of Hogwarts with one destination in mind, the office of Albus Dumbledore. While he respected the man greatly until now he didn't think the man was capable of doing what was needed to defeat Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Now however he felt much differently. The Headmaster had been Harry Potter's most outspoken supporter since he was accused of murder and now that he knew the truth of what had happened that day Stevens had no doubt that Dumbledore was aiding Potter in some way. It was that reason that brought the old Unspeakable to Hogwarts that evening, well that and the fact that the man was the head of the Wizengamont and as such he must be told of the treachery and corruption that had spread through the Ministry.

When he reached the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's office he had no desire to stand there and shout out silly passwords until he managed to guess correctly but as luck would have it he didn't need to. Almost as soon as he approached the cursed block of stone quickly jumped out of the way. Apparently Dumbledore already knew he was there and that it was a matter of some importance. As he ascended the stairs he didn't bother to knock and simply walked into the office to find the older man sitting behind his desk with a kindly smile on his face. If there was one thing that annoyed 'everyone' about Dumbledore it was the fact that he seemed to know everything, and the fact that he was right a large majority of the time did nothing to discourage such thoughts.

"Ah, Geoffrey, it is good to see you again. Would you care for a cup of tea?" He asked with a small smile and even at his age Stevens couldn't help but feel comforted by the man's ever present optimism. He nodded slightly and took the seat in front of the man's desk as he poured two cups from a rather flowery tea pot. "I will assume that your presence here will indicate that you have discovered something in the course of your resent investigation." It was more of a statement than a question and Stevens was left to wonder if the ancient Headmaster may have been involved with his kidnapping and subsequent questioning that had the direct result of making him suspicious of his own men.

"No my dear boy, I only recently learned of your unfortunate ordeal, though I was quite surprised that Ms. Tonks was able to subdue you." Seeing the surprised look on his former students face Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "I assure you that your Occlumency shields are in top form, I have just had a very long time to rely on other forms of reading someone. They're not as reliable as Legillimency but they can prove useful if the person has a specific thought on their mind." He explained before taking a small sip of tea. "Now, what was it you wished to discuss?"

"As you know my Unspeakables are being questioned at this very moment. Surprisingly we have already uncovered two of the Dark Lord's agents and they have incriminated several others. Due to their testimony I feel that a discussion with Mr. Potter is in order." He stated and watched Dumbledore carefully.

"In that case why did you come to me?"

"I'm no fool Albus!" Stevens exclaimed hotly. "He has obviously been receiving aid from someone in a position to cover his tracks when needed and you are the only candidate. It is no secret that Auror Shacklebolt is a member of your Order of the Phoenix and he led the only team that has confronted Potter thus far and he escaped while being severely out numbered. The way things are shaping up I would guess that Potter was allowed to escape. I now know that the boy is innocent, of murder. Madam Bones and I are prepared to ignore the crimes he has committed recently in exchange for a little cooperation." Dumbledore looked at the man for a long minute before replying. He knew that Stevens was a trustworthy man but he certainly wasn't going to volunteer any information regarding the 'Raiders', not after the mistake with Draco Malfoy. After thinking hard for a few minutes he took out a piece of parchment and scribbled a quick message before wordlessly handing it over to Fawkes who disappeared in a burst of flames.

"While Harry may have my support Geoffrey, he does not act upon my orders. Though they were active members of the Order before their capture they are only loosely affiliated with the organization now. We have shared certain information but we have kept our different short term goals separate for obvious reasons. Mr. Potter's tactics, while effective, would have negative consequences on the normal law-abiding members of the Order. In fact I rarely know what he is going to do until after the fact. And I can assure you that Kingsley did his best to capture him and his colleagues. Unfortunately, for his ego anyway, his best was just not good enough because he underestimated them. I am sure that Kingsley was most upset when he learned he was wrong about Harry." Dumbledore said with a knowing smile.

"Yes, he was. In fact he tried his hardest to convince Amelia to uphold the charges of assault against him and his Aurors regardless of whatever agreement we may come to with Mr. Potter." Stevens answered with a small smile of his own before returning to the original subject. "But I do find it hard to believe that he would act against your wishes or leave you in the dark. His respect and admiration for you is very well known." Stevens said with more than a little doubt.

"You would be surprised at how quickly many things can change over a short period of time." Dumbledore responded in a quiet voice as he remembered the strained relationship he now shared with Harry due to the disastrous events of Harry's fifth year. "Do you really think that I would allow anyone, even Harry, to compromise the security of Hogwarts and rob it blind?" Albus chuckled at the memory, specifically using that single 'raid' to stress how skilled the Raiders were. Stevens' eyes went wide as he remembered that particular detail. To get inside of Hogwarts without Dumbledore knowing was almost unthinkable.

"How was he able to pass through the wards without being detected?"

"I don't know. If I did I would certainly take steps to prevent it from happening in the future. My only theory, well the only one that makes any sense, is that Hogwarts was protecting him." Stevens looked at the older man in confusion but didn't have time to answer as Fawkes returned just seconds before a house elf appeared before him. The elf looked at the man intently for a moment before turning to the Headmaster.

"My Master has consented to allow me to bring you and your friend."

"Excellent!" Dumbledore clapped his hands together happily. "When will we be expected to arrive?"

"Right now!" Twinkle stated simply as she snapped her fingers together and the three disappeared from the office with a quiet pop.

XXX

"That was unnerving!" Stevens said quietly as he gained his bearings after suddenly appearing in the middle of a finely furnished sitting room. His entire body was tingling and his skin felt as if it were crawling. Dumbledore was standing right beside him but didn't look the least bit uncomfortable.

"Yes, traveling by house elf is quite a different experience from apperating or using a portkey but the added discomfort of magically traveling through the Fedelius Charm is not a welcomed sensation." He explained as if he were lecturing to raptly listening students. Stevens glared at the man in annoyance but he didn't seem to notice, his attention was on the figures standing just inside the doorway. Stevens turned to see what was so interesting and nearly groaned at the situation he had apparently gotten himself into. Of the seven people that stood in front of them only Harry Potter and Nymphadora Tonks did not have their hoods up and all had their wands drawn.

"Harry is that really necessary?" Dumbledore asked as he nodded to the wands that were now trained on them.

"That depends entirely on you. In your note you made no mention of why Mr. Stevens wanted to see us. And we all remember what happened last time you were here."

"Yes, well, I'll admit that that was a mistake." Albus responded a bit uncomfortably.

"A MISTAKE!" Harry snapped. It was quite clear that he had not yet forgiven the old man for his lack of judgment. "You brought a known Death Eater here and expected us to just accept one of the people that tortured us with great enthusiasm. While we know that Mr. Stevens here is not a Death Eater we have no way of knowing what his intentions towards us are."

"Considering what has happened today I would assume that my intentions would be obvious." Stevens spoke up, believing that Harry knew about the investigation that he had actually started when he had captured and questioned the man.

"We are not going to make the mistake of assuming anything. While I'm pretty sure an imbecile could have proven that Harry didn't murder anyone with a liberal use of Veritaserum, we are still guilty of the many other crimes we have committed over the last couple of weeks. So are you here to try to arrest us or to talk us into turning ourselves in?" Steven asked from under his hood while his brother Juan nodded in agreement.

"Actually I'm here to inform you all that Mr. Potter, Ms. Tonks, Mr. Snape and Ms. Zabini will officially be pardoned for the deaths of the twelve Unspeakables since they were acting on the orders of the Dark Lord. I have also come to offer you a deal."

"Right." Harry responded slowly as everyone else looked at the man in confusion. "And what sort of deal are you offering?"

"Full immunity for all past crimes in exchange for a certain level of cooperation."

"And what about future crimes? Despite the fact that we will be pardoned we have no intention of changing the way we do things." Tonks asked after a moments thought.

"That brings me to the final part of my proposal. If you would agree, your team will be supported by the Department of Mysteries as well as Madam Bones and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to a lesser extent. You will all technically be working for the Ministry so that will solve many problems you would normally face, such as charges of vigilantism. You will all be registered as recruits and be paid as such unless you choose to join the department on a more permanent basis later on."

"Just a moment!" Harry said as he led his group out of the room to talk the idea over. When the door closed behind them Albus quietly took a seat and removed a lemon drop from the pocket of his lime green colored robes. After flicking the bit of pocket lint off of it he popped it in to his mouth and began humming an up beat tune. Geoffrey looked at the man oddly for a moment before sitting down himself and asking the question that had been on his mind since they arrived.

"What did Potter mean when he said you brought a Death Eater here?" Albus' humming stopped immediately and he looked into the fire crackling in front of him and sighed.

"I'm sure you know the details behind Severus' turn from Voldemort many years ago?"

"Yes I do. In fact there is still a very strong opinion within the Ministry that he be held responsible for his crimes no matter what he has done to atone for them."

"Yes, well, I made the mistake of trying to help young Draco Malfoy as I once did for Severus. I brought him here to hide him from his father and the Dark Lord. No, certainly not my brightest moment." He added when he saw the incredulous look that was being directed at him. "Draco is still a young man and has been raised with his father's ideals. If he continues along his current path I believe he will be dead before to long. Then again, even if he rejects Voldemort and his beliefs in the future I am just as positive that Harry or Severus will kill him themselves if given the opportunity, and I can't really hold that against. Even a man as good as Harry can only be pushed so far, and young Draco went well beyond that line while they were held captive. Watching your friends repeatedly being put under the effects of the Cruciatus curse will put hatred in to even the purest of hearts." Silence reigned through the room for some time until the Raiders returned and both Dumbledore and Stevens were relieved for the end of their uncomfortable silence.

"Before we agree on anything, we a few demands." Harry spoke up, directing the statement to both of the old men in front of him. "First, we run this group, not you, or Madam Bones. We will continue to go after targets that we feel hold priority but like with Dumbledore, you are of course welcome to recommend others. Second, if you need our assistance in any capacity we will certainly help in any way that we can, unless, of course, such help would force our attention away from a task that has a greater priority. And finally, as everyone knows that majority of the Raiders identities are unknown and they will remain that way to protect their families from retribution from Voldemort. Not even you will know their names." Harry finished with a note of finality. Stevens was greatly surprised to say the least. He had never had anyone simply tell him what they would or would not be doing because to be frank most people would wet their pants in joy at being hired by the Department of Mysteries and would do almost anything that was asked of them to make sure their job was secure.

"Well if they are going to be working for me I must know their names. If it is security you are concerned about then I can assure you that never once has the identity of our top agents been discovered." The department head argued but Tonks shook her head almost as soon as he began speaking.

"A secret is only kept if it is never spoken of. The fewer the people who know the better. And they will not be working for you, as you said our association with the Ministry will only be a technicality to open certain doors to us. And I'm willing to bet that the reason your top agents have never been found out is because they have other ties with the Ministry and they don't exactly leave a big paper trail behind them that would connect them to you. The only possible way that would work effectively is if every one of your 'unknown' agents is already employed by the Ministry in another department. It's easy to cover up a money trail from within the Ministry but on the outside it is very different indeed. The Ministry must account for every galleon they spend and that includes a worker's salary. If someone were to look through the records and discover that the Ministry was paying the salary of 'Jimmy Johnson' they might not think that much about it, unless they knew that Jimmy did not work for the Ministry but instead worked for Quality Quiditch Supplies, it would certainly raise some rather interesting questions. While you guard your men's identities very carefully there are still many different ways to get the information. So no, we will not be revealing their names, at least not until after Voldemort is defeated."

"Very well." Stevens said grumpily, he didn't like secrets to much, well at least not when they were being kept form him at any rate. After getting that out of the way they all got comfortable and listened to what Sevens had to tell them about the questioning that had taken place that day. Surprisingly they had caught five Commanders and thirty to forty junior agents. When the Aurors were preparing to escort the first group of younger Unspeakables back to the interrogation rooms a series of sudden pops echoes through the room and five of the incriminated Death Eaters vanished with the help of portkeys. But it was not just Unspeakables that were found out but other officials as well, including the likes of Cornelius Fudge and Deloris Umbridge as well as many of the younger and more impressionable Ministry workers. Harry was just glad that Percy's name had apparently not been mentioned. As soon as he was told that Fudge had apparently made a deal with the Dark Lord he was afraid that he might have joined them. He certainly held no love for the self centered and arrogant bureaucrat but it would have killed Mrs. Weasley to see her son become a Death Eater. Harry was annoyed that Fudge had managed to escape but he took comfort in the fact that he was probably going to be dead before the end of the night. Aurors were dispatched almost immediately to keep surveillance on numerous suspected Death Eaters and it was decided that after all the interrogations had taken place the Aurors and Unspeakables would move out in force to apprehend everyone that was named. Because of the sheer size of the operation Stevens knew that despite the manpower he had at his disposal he was going to need the help of Dumbledore and the Order so he was going to meet with them at Hogwarts later that evening.

Dumbledore and Stevens were preparing to leave when Harry suddenly remembered the lone Ravenclaw that was currently held up in her room as if Death himself were after her. He had very little experience with overly emotional girls and they made him very uncomfortable so he was more than ready for Dumbledore to take her and go.

"Albus, during the attack this morning I came across a teenage girl that needed immediate medical attention so I sent her here where one of the house elves, Beckle, fixed her up pretty good. Now that she is well enough I would greatly appreciate it if you got her out of here. I can only listen to someone ask when I'm going to kill them so many times in one day." Harry sniffed in agitation. Dumbledore just looked at him with those damned twinkling eyes as a grin pulled at the corners of his lips. Harry led Albus up to the second floor while Stevens was sent back to Hogwarts where he and Albus would address the Order.

"So have you been able to get any useful information out of the Death Eaters you brought back from Diagon Ally?"

"I'm not sure yet. Snape began questioning them just before you showed up. All I know right now is that none of Voldemort's strongest followers were involved. It appears that this was a test for new recruits and less experienced fighters who aren't permitted to sit in on important meetings. I figure the only valuable information we will get out of them are the names of other Death Eaters."

"Yes, they feel the same about the prisoners that you left behind to be taken into custody by the Ministry." Dumbledore responded with a nod before they stopped outside of the room Marietta was currently using. This time, just to be polite Harry knocked but when he received no answer he rolled his eyes and just walked in. The Ravenclaw was sitting in a chair on the farthest side of the room with her knees pulled up to her chest as her wide eyes were locked on the door. Seeing the look on her face annoyed Harry to no end.

"For the last time, I am not going to hurt you." Harry said while stressing every word. He shook his head and waved Dumbledore in before pointing in her direction. "There she is, please just take her and go."

"I'm not going anywhere." Marietta spoke up before Dumbledore could as she stood up from her chair. Harry turned back to her slowly and looked at her through narrowed eyes. The fact that she didn't seem the least bit surprised to see Dumbledore there made him more than a little bit suspicious.

"Excuse me."

"You heard me, I'm not leaving." She said in a louder more confident voice. Harry was now looking at her as if she were insane.

"Not long ago you were just sitting up here waiting for me to come and kill you and now you don't want to leave?" He asked in irritation and not to mention confusion at her sudden change. For the life of him he couldn't think of why she would want to stay in house full of criminals… unless. "How much did you hear?" He asked her harshly as he cursed himself for not taking precautions to prevent any ease dropping. Granted he was in his house that was protected by the Fedelius Charm and everyone inside he could trust but he was still caught with his pants down, figuratively speaking of course.

"I heard enough to know what you are doing here as well as the fact that you are now getting support from the Unspeakables and Aurors."

"Well that we can change easily enough." Harry said as he drew his wand but suddenly stopped when Dumbledore grabbed his wrist. He suddenly spun around and turned his frustration on to the older man. "What? A quick charm, she forgets everything and we send her home, what's wrong with that?"

"You can't solve every argument with a memory charm Harry." Albus smiled and said in that annoying grandfatherly tone that he uses when he has the good grace to hide his amusement at the situation. "Why don't you simply ask why she wishes to stay?"

"Why bother, she's not staying. You can ask her questions to your heart's content, just as long as you're asking them while the two of you are walking out the door." Dumbledore's expression turned stern but Harry couldn't care less. He glanced over at Marietta and was surprised to see that she was about to burst into tears. Not wanting to see another burst of emotion at this point he quickly gave in.

"Fine, why do you want to stay? Ten words or less." He asked as he leaned against the wall all the while Dumbledore was looking on in disapproval.

"My fathers dead and my mother might as well be." She answered quickly as tears began to run down her cheeks, but she didn't break down.

"Shit." Harry mumbled as he lowered his gaze. He had forgotten about the bodies that here scattered about around her when he first found her. At the time he had hoped that they weren't her parents but it seemed god wasn't listening. Here father being dead is easy to understand but when she said that her mother might as well be, well that could be taken several different ways but Harry had a feeling he already knew.

"Cruciatus?" He asked quietly without looking but it seemed just hearing the word broke down all of the girl's defenses and she nearly fell out of her chair if grief. Dumbledore was quick to rush to her side and offer any support he could but Harry found himself just needing some fresh air. He stood up to leave the room but glanced back at Dumbledore who was holding the distraught girl in his arms. He just nodded his consent silently before walking through the door all the while berating himself for acting so heartless towards her.

"Beckle." Harry called softly after he closed the door behind him. He decided that he needed to get to know the other house elves working for him so he decided call for her instead of Twinkle.

"Yes Master Harry." He jumped slightly when the reply came from right behind him and he turned to see the elf he had met very briefly earlier that day.

"Yes could you please bring some Dreamless Sleep potion to Professor Dumbledore? I think she is going to need it. And just in case, can you keep an eye on her tonight?" He explained as he nodded towards the room he just left. The elf looked at the door with sad eyes before she nodded and vanished once more. Harry sighed and headed back down stairs and walked out the back door and into the small courtyard, the only piece of the surrounding land that was also covered by the Fedelius Charm. Taking a few deep breaths of the cool evening air as the he looked up at the darkening sky and sighed deeply while he thought about everything that had taken place over the last thirty six hours. "Thing are getting way too complicated." He muttered quietly to himself.

"She's staying, isn't she?" Harry spun around swiftly and drew both his wands more out of habit than anything else. Seeing that it was only Bill he grimaced slightly at his slightly frayed nerves and re-holstered his wands. He merely grunted his reply before he noticed what the oldest Weasley child was currently working on.

"Where the hell did that come from?" He asked dumbfounded as he looked with wide eyes at the old sleek black Indian Chief that Bill seemed to be tuning up. Harry looked at it longingly but there was something distinctly familiar about it. What it was he wasn't sure but it was just at the back of his mind and he couldn't figure it out. Bill chuckled as he saw the look on Harry's face as he looked at the bike. It was the same look that was undoubtedly on his own face the first time the Gringotts Goblins showed him how to recognize all of the spells and curses that protected their many vaults.

"We stole it last night along with everything else we took from Order headquarters. It was locked up in the shed behind the house. Dung had always wondered what was in there so we took the opportunity to find out. We figured that it would serve as a very nice birthday gift since yours is coming up in just a couple of days." Bill's smile turned into an outright laugh as Harry's eyes became the size of dinner plates and his mouth dropped open in shock.

"Wh.. what?" He finally managed to stutter out after a few minutes of failed attempts.

"Your birthday. You know, the day you were born and each following year on that date is known as your birthday. In most cultures this is a celebrated occasion and the giving of gifts is a common practice." Harry stared at the man in front of him for a few silent moments before groaning. He had thought that for a time he had gotten away from the twins and their peculiar brand of humor but it seems that Bill was also capable of causing just as much annoyance if he were so inclined. Not that he didn't like the twins or their pranks but it just seemed that if they could get a laugh at his expense then they sure as hell would not let that opportunity pass.

"As I told you, we brought this here for your birthday. It used to belong to Sirius so I'm sure that he would have wanted you to have it. Besides, no one else in the Order has any interest in riding so it wouldn't get any use except attracting dust and that's a shameful way for a bike like this to go." Harry walked over and was rubbing his hand gently over the gas tank but froze at the mention of Sirius' name. while he may have accepted the fact that the man was dead and that he was not coming back it still hurt a great deal and the fact that he would be attending the reading of his Will in just three days certainly didn't make him feel any better. Knowing that the bike once belonged to Sirius made him realize why it had seemed so familiar. It was the bike that Hagrid has used to bring him to the Dursley's when he was just a child. He had had dreams about that bike off and on for many years.

"Mr. Harry Potter sir." Harry jumped just slightly at the sudden intrusion into his thoughts but calmed quickly when he saw that it was only Twinkle. "Mr. Dungus needs to speak with you Sir." Harry nodded in confusion and walked back into the house with Bill right behind him. The two of them found Dung standing in the sitting room with his smoking pipe hanging out of his mouth. When he noticed the two he immediately approached them.

"Where the hell have you been and why couldn't you simply find me yourself?" Harry asked quickly.

"After the attack this morning I decided to see what kind of information I could scrounge up so I went out for a bit. And I didn't look for you myself because I didn't have the time to search every room for you, to take advantage of this we have to move fast." The old thief answered in a serious voice that just seemed so out of place on the man.

"Take advantage of what?" Bill asked while he and Harry looked at each other in confusion.

"For some reason a lot of the high ranking Voldemort supporters and sympathizers are doing all they can to go unnoticed for the time being. In just the last hour Malfoy, Warrington, Montague, Flint and Bullstrode all had their homes placed under the Fedelius Charm and vanished. There are several others that have disappeared as well but not as effectively. Most are using your standard wards like unplotable charms and such. For the most part though the majority have no idea what is going on. Those in Voldemort's inner circle obviously aren't saying anything to those under them because they seem to be just as clueless about what's happening as we are."

"Actually we know exactly what's going on." And so Harry and Bill explained everything that had happened at the Ministry that day as well as the offer Stevens had given them. Dung was a bit surprised that the man had moved that quickly but was pleased by it nonetheless. The idea that he was now 'indirectly' working for the Ministry was a bit unsettling to him but other than that he thought that it was a good move.

"Now what happened that had you…?"

"Draco Malfoy!" Dung answered before Bill could even finish the question. Bill looked confused about what could have possibly have happened to make the man rush about as if Malfoy was a major threat. Harry on the other hand went beat red at the very mention of the spoiled brat's name.

"What about him?" He growled out and Dung was beginning to think that it may not have been a very good idea to mention it. "Well?"

"This afternoon when Lucius cast the Fedelius Charm over Malfoy Manor Draco was not home and from what I hear Lucius has made no attempt to contact him. As a result Draco is prevented from returning so he has sought protection from Lionel Parkinson who only has his home protected by the unplotable charm." He finished with a small grin.

"We appreciate your enthusiasm Dung but even if we knew the area by every square inch it would take even the best curse breaker weeks to bring down those shields." Bill explained as he began rubbing his eyes. This only seemed to excite the man further.

"That is true, but since the Malfoy brat is there we have access to something, or rather someone, that could take us right through the wards." Dung looked back and forth between the two wizards with a wide grin that only grew even further as he saw realization appear in Harry's eyes.

"Dobby." He whispered to himself quietly. Bill heard the softly spoken word and the same light seemed to appear in his eyes as well. "That could work. Dobby worked for the Malfoys since before Draco was born so if any house elf could pin point his location it would be him. Beckle!"

"Yes Master Harry, how may Beckle serve you?" The elf asked immediately after appearing at his side. Harry had to fight to prevent from rolling his eyes.

"First of all, don't call me master, just Harry. Is Albus still here?"

"No sir, Headmaster left a few minutes ago."

"Oh well, we have to go to Hogwarts first anyway." Harry sighed.

"Why do we have to go back there? There really isn't any point in it." Dung grunted from his position beside Harry, but it was Bill that answered.

"Although the Aurors won't be able to get through the wards without working on them for weeks they will more then likely send a few to survey the area for the time being until they can devote the manpower necessary for the job. Stevens will be able to keep them on a tight leash for now if we happen to run into them. We don't really need to get into a fight with Aurors either before or after we raid a house with an unknown number of Death Eaters inside." Bill explained.

"Bill, if you were working from the inside, how long would it take you to break through the shields hiding that house?"

"Well that depends. By myself I could probably dismantle the unplotable charms in about fifteen to twenty minutes but there are sure to be other protections surrounding the area as well. Without knowing what they are I couldn't give you a definite answer until we're inside." The curse breaker answered before the three men split up to gather everyone together but it was surprisingly difficult to find many of their comrades. In the end they had to resort to Dung's method and send the house elves after everyone.

Snape, of course was the easiest to find since he was still in the basement questioning the Death Eaters they had captured that morning. Unfortunately their suspicions were proven correct and they got very little in the way of important information from them. Everyone else was surprisingly difficult to locate. In the end Harry had to send the house elves after them but soon they were all gathered and ready to leave. They all seemed to be very eager to raid a Death Eater's home where the Death Eaters themselves were the targets. Understandably Snape, Tonks and Blaise were the most enthusiastic of the bunch.

Before leaving Harry gave Susan one of the last remaining sets of Basilisk skin battle robes and his own invisibility cloak since this would be the first time she would be in a genuinely hostile environment. He took the time to once again make it perfectly clear that she was under no circumstances to leave Bill's side and if told to she damn well better activate her portkey and leave. She was also to remain under the invisibility cloak for as long as possible. With a small huff of annoyance she agreed before they all charmed their clothing to look like ordinary robes and vanishing with a soft crack.

XXX

After arriving in Hogsmeade they spit up into two groups. Harry, Snape, Blaise, Tonks and Bill headed for the passage in the cellar of Hunnydukes while everyone else wandered around the nearby shops in groups of two or three to avoid attracting attention. Despite the fact that they had been pardoned Blaise and Tonks had no desire to test their luck and had therefore decided to remain hidden within the tunnel while the others asked Dobby for help and spoke to Albus.

Though he was no longer a servant to the Malfoy family, Dobby was still extremely reluctant 'betray' one of his former masters. It was clear that if it had been anyone else other than Harry that had asked he probably would have refused outright. As it was it took nearly thirty minutes to convince him to help. After leaving the kitchen the three wizards and one house elf navigated the corridors and secret passages carefully to avoid being seen on their way towards the Headmaster's office. As luck would have it however they were spared from making the complete trip.

Preparing to exit a dim passage that came out from behind a tapestry on the third floor Snape suddenly stopped in his tracks as he heard low voices steadily growing louder and the telltale clicking of boots on the ancient stone floor. "Potter, get up here and have a look." The potions master hissed quietly. Harry moved up past Bill and Dobby and pressed himself against the wall to give himself a good angle to see down the corridor. Focusing his magical eye, the tapestry that concealed their location seemed to shimmer for a moment before becoming semi transparent. Walking casually down the hall was none other than Albus Dumbledore and Professor Flitwick but it was the two cloaked and hooded figures that Flitwick was glancing at curiously that caught his immediate attention as he clenched his teeth in anger. He didn't have to use his eye to see through their hoods to be able to figure out who they were. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a few deep breaths as he tried to focus on the reason they were here. Motioning for Bill to raise his hood, Harry pushed the tapestry aside and stepped out into the corridor with the others right behind him.

The unexpected movement ahead of them caused the small group to come to a sudden stop not ten feet away from them. Dumbledore looked only mildly surprises to see them but you could tell he was thinking rather hard. Professor Flitwick let out a quiet squeak but quickly composed himself but it was the other two that Harry's attention was on. After a few moments of tense silence Harry began to feel a very subtle pressure towards the front of his head. His eyes immediately hardened as he focused on all his memories of the abuse he suffered at the hands of the Dursley's and pushed them forward. The smaller of the two hooded figures stumbled back with a sharp feminine gasp.

"My thoughts are my own. I would suggest that you never try that again, the results could be, unpleasant." Harry said coldly before turning his attention to the Headmaster. "We don't have much time so I need a straight answer, do you or the Ministry have anyone watching the area around the Parkinson home?" He asked quickly.

"At the moment I don't think so, at least I am not aware of any." Albus answered in confusion, both at the question and the sudden interest in the Parkinsons.

"Good, that's one less complication. Good night." Harry had turned back around and was preparing to leave when Bill suddenly stepped forward.

"Professor Flitwick, would you care to lend us your expertise for a couple hours?" Both Flitwick and Dumbledore looked at the hooded man with puzzled expressions.

"And just what would I be doing?" The tiny professor asked with a bit of suspicion.

"Assisting me in bring down the shields surrounding the Parkinson's home." Bill answered simply.

"But that could take weeks, not hours." Flitwick exclaimed. It was only now that Dumbledore seemed to notice Dobby standing behind the three wizards, trying his best to remain out of sight. With a few moments thought comprehension seemed to dawn in his eyes and he realized who must be with the Parkinsons to merit their attention. Draco Malfoy.

"Normally, yes, it would take that long. But we are going to be working from the inside while the others are rounding up any Death Eaters that happen to be inside. With your help we could cut the work time by at least thirty percent." After this simple explanation it took very little to convince the excitable little man to help. He greatly loved challenges. With nothing more said the group headed back down the corridor towards the statue of the humpbacked witch that would led them back to Hunnydukes. With a few hasty words to Dumbledore Lily and James Potter quickly made their way out of the school, fully intending to at least see what Harry had planned.

TBC

Thanks to everyone that has reviewed, I have greatly appreciated it.

Ok, for all of you who have asked, serious relationships will start to form in the next chapter and after that the story will begin to move along at a greater speed.


	18. Flying Ferret

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Eighteen: Flying Ferret **

Once they left the safety of the tunnel under Hunnydukes Harry sent Bill ahead to warn the others about the change of plans so that Professor Flitwick would never see any of them with their hoods down. Both Tonks and Blaise were very surprised to see the excitable charms master with them but everyone else seemed to accept his participation with very few arguments. They had decided that since there were quite a few of them they would use separate portkeys that would take them to the general location of the Parkinson home in small groups instead of one large group that would draw a lot of unwanted attention

With a deep breath Harry reached out a finger and placed it on the thick sheet of parchment that Snape had used to create the portkey and the others followed his example. Almost instantly he felt the familiar tug behind his navel as the portkey was activated. He clamped his eyes closed as he felt a nonexistent wind blow into him with a savage force and his ears nearly pop as they were filled with a sound similar to that of rushing water. After what felt like a life time, but had actually been less than a measly twenty seconds, his feet slammed into the ground but he was unable to keep his balance and he to begin the all too familiar task of dusting himself off after he had stood back up. Harry growled quietly to himself as even Professor Flitwick and Dobby seemed to find his 'graceful' landing amusing.

"Yeah, laugh it up why don't you." Harry snapped irritably. "Is that it?" He asked Snape while pointing towards a home off in the distance that was partially concealed by trees. Snape was forced to design the portkey to bring them no closer than three hundred yards or risk disturbing the wards.

"Yes, it is." The man replied simply without betraying a hint of emotion.

"Alright, let's get ready." Harry announced before turning to Dobby and dropping to one knee so that they were at eye level. "Dobby, how many people can you transport along with you at one time and still remain silent?"

"Takes much energy to pop silently, Harry Potter sir. Will only be able to take two or three at a time." The house elf replied nervously. None of them could blame him for his reluctance really but without him that simply would not be able to proceed any further than they already have. While not on par with the wards surrounding Hogwarts they were still impressive nonetheless.

It would take a good deal of concentration on Dobby's part to eliminate the normally loud crack that accompanied the house elves version of apperation. In the end it was decided that Harry and Tonks would be the first to enter the area with their invisibility cloaks so that they could neutralize any guards that may be stationed outside. Bill, Flitwick and Susan would follow a few minutes later and begin working on the wards, however they would leave the anti-apperation and anti-portkey wards in place to prevent any Death Eaters from escaping using that method. The muggle repellant wards would also remain in tact to avoid the unneeded distraction of being interrupted by the muggle authorities because someone reported suspicious activity. Susan would be there as a lookout for them incase anyone was to see them since the wards would need their undivided attention. The rest would be brought directly into the house, in Draco's general location, in small groups of twos and threes. With a small amount of hesitation Dobby snapped his fingers and with almost perfect silence he, along with Harry and Tonks vanished.

Harry was quick to decide that he didn't like traveling by house elf any more than he did using portkeys. In fact he hated it even more. While a portkey merely made you feel as if you were being pulled along at an incredible speed, this made him feel as if he were being forcefully sucked through a straw, being pushed through a space that was far to small for a house elf much less a human. Dobby had dropped them off behind some bushes along the side of the house before disappearing once again. Shaking off the dizziness that was a result of his blood rushing to his head he looked around at his surroundings and gasped in shock and horror.

"What is it?" Tonks asked in confusion as she looked around to try to find what he could have seen to merit that reaction.

"It's damn near an exact replica of the Dursley's, larger of course bit similar just the same." He answered with a shudder as if that explained everything. Looking around once again Tonks could clearly see the similarities and she suddenly felt a chill go up her spine. Everything in the yard and garden was perfectly manicured with a few odds and ends lying about for a bit of an artistic touch. Taking a peek around the corner they both shuddered when they found even more similarities in the overall construction of the house its self. Though it was about forty percent larger than the Dursley's home they were both sure that Harry's relatives could probably wander into this house and find their way around quite easily. Such anal retentive attention to detail should be outlawed completely.

"My god, have these people, or your relatives for that matter, ever had an original creative thought in their lives?" Tonks asked with a look of disgust as she tore her eyes away from that incredibly boring sight. Tonks, being the way she was, certainly had little interest in what most people would consider normal. Though she did of course find it terribly ironic that for people who hated muggles so much they still clearly had the same tastes in architecture and landscaping. "Alright, I'll go around to the back, you go around to the front." She said quietly as she draped her invisibility cloak over herself. Harry merely nodded in response before doing the same and moving out of the bushes to look for any guards that may be around.

As he moved around to the front of the house Harry quickly peered into each window so that he could get a sense of how many people may be inside and who they were. In fact he was peering into the window of what appeared to be the dining room when a Death Eater nearly walked right into him. Harry had to take a few quick steps backwards to avoid the collision but a look around the area revealed no others so he jabbed the man in the back with his wand before he hit him with a stunning spell at point blank rage to reduce the chances of a bright flash as the cures left his wand. Luckily with so little warning the man was unable to make even the slightest noise before Harry caught the unconscious figure and dragged him back to the bushes to hide him for the time being.

Not surprisingly, he didn't come across anyone else until he reached the front door where three men were standing in their Death Eater robes but no masks. Looking closely at the three Harry could not recall ever seeing them before. All three appeared to be very relaxed and were simply standing around talking to each other as if they believed that it was impossible for anything to go wrong on this particular date. Well if they truly felt this way then they were very wrong indeed.

Moving slowly and carefully to avoid making any sound, Harry crept silently over towards the small group with a wand in each hand as he held his cloak tightly closed as if he were afraid a strong breeze might come along and reveal his position. Within seconds he was a mere ten feet away and prepared to shrug off his cloak and send curses from both his wands. The only problem with this plan was that with only him present with the three Death Eaters it could give at least one of them time to shout out for help. Thinking it over for a moment he came to the conclusion that he didn't really have much of a choice but decided against abandoning the use of his cloak and planned to keep the attack up unseen. Adjusting his body slightly so that he could aim decently without his wand arm being exposed, he took a deep breath and whispered out the incantation for the same dark arts stunning spell he had used on Kingsley Shacklebolt in the Great Hall of Hogwarts.

Surprisingly though his first curse was not the only one that was fired. At almost the same instant another curse was fired from a short distance to fell the Death Eater farthest from Harry. Taking advantage of this timely arrival Harry cast another spell at the sole remaining dark wizard before he could utter a sound. Unfortunately for this man he was hit with two curses instead of one like his comrades. Having no doubt who cast those other spells Harry removed his cloak and an instant later Tonks did the same with a wide grin on her face.

"I stunned mine first!" She commented with a bright smile as she pulled one of the unconscious Death Eaters off to the side before draping her invisibility cloak over the prone man's body to hide him from view. Harry had done the same with the other two but stopped short when he heard his friend's claim.

"Like hell you did, besides, my curse hit that one first." Harry replied as he pointed to the man they had both hit before spreading out his cloak so that it would cover both men. Tonks was about to argue his claim when the sounds of fighting reached their ears. The two shot wide eyed looks at each other before muttering the same word, 'shit', and burst through the front door. Almost as soon as they entered the house they were throwing curses at a couple of Death Eaters who were clearly trying to get away. Luckily the two had been so surprised by their sudden entrance that they were unable to return fire and had thus gone down fairly quickly. Not bothering to spare the two men a second glance they quickly stepped over them and went off in search of the rest of their group.

Harry was relieved beyond belief when he discovered that though from the outside the house resembled his childhood home the inside was a completely different matter. On the outside it looked much like a good many of the houses you would find in a muggle neighborhood owned by a fairly 'normal' and well off family. The architecture was fairly modern and the landscape surrounding the house was well cared for with almost surgical precision. However that is where the similarities end. The inside clearly showed that this was more than likely a false impression designed to keep the muggles living in the area from suspecting anything unusual about the neighbors. Despite the modern crisp clean atmosphere outside the inhabitants had apparently not yet made the leap out of the dark ages.

Like the Black home at number 12 Grimmauld Place the Parkinson's home was nearly dark with dim lighting and there was black soot on the walls and ceilings as a result of the gas burning laps that were either hung up on the walls or placed on tables. Another similarity was that like the Blacks they apparently had an affinity for bazaar, not to mention disgusting décor. Apparently Sirius' family wasn't the only one out there that took pleasure in executing their house elves and mounting their heads on the wall. Harry thought for a moment and wondered why he saw nothing but a normal looking home when he looked through the window before he realized that they must be charmed to show only what the inhabitants would want someone walking by to see so he decided that he should start using the functions of his magical eye more freely to avoid walking into anything unexpected in the future.

Keeping his eyes firmly pointed ahead of him, he and Tonks made their way from room to room but had thus far encountered absolutely no resistance but the sounds of battle seemed to echo all around them and as a result were unable to pinpoint it's location. After checking the kitchen they doubled back towards the front of the house and placed silencing charms on their feet before barreling up the stairs two or three at a time. When they reached the top of the staircase their questions were answered as they stared at the backs of the at least twelve Death Eaters while another seven appeared to be unconscious. At the other end of the hallway Snape and the others were returning fire while they took cover in various doorways. The Death Eaters had the numbers in their favor but the hallway seemed to take that advantage away from them since it was to narrow for them to simply overwhelm their enemy with their numbers.

The Raiders were returning as many curses as they received but, like their opponents, they were unable to get any real momentum going in their favor. Seeing that they would be stuck there all night if things didn't change Harry and Tonks slowly moved back to the stairwell to lay down over the top few steps for cover before directing their wands back around the corner and releasing a barrage of curses at the Death Eater's unprotected backs. At first they didn't seem to realize that someone had managed to sneak up from behind and were concentrating on Snape but as a few of their number were cut down a number of them spun around to face this new threat. That shift of focus and momentary lack of discipline was all that Snape and the others needed to capitalize on the situation. Almost immediately after their attention shifted towards Harry and Tonks he barked out a single command and everyone literally leapt out from behind their cover and charged down the short distance between them and their enemies.

All ready shaken up over the sudden appearance of Harry Potter and with half of their strength concentrated in the opposite direction the Death Eaters didn't have a prayer of getting off more that a spell or two much less stopping them. Those who turned to meet Harry and Tonks stood there stupidly as their comrades were cut down behind them but they didn't seem to care very much how that part of the fight was going and as a result they met the same fate as a few others since they were unprepared for the numerous spells that hit them from behind.

After all of the wands had been pick up off the floor Harry stood back up and but had to move quickly to steady Tonks who was about to fall back down the stairs when she literally jumped to her feet in excitement. After she regained her balance she glared at Harry who was doing a horrible job at containing his amusement over her near disaster. Try as she might, Tonks simply couldn't hold that glare in place when looking at Harry. Most people she would have hexed for laughing at her clumsiness without thinking twice. She figured that the reason this was different was because Harry never mocked her or humiliated her for her less than graceful nature which was a quality missing in most of the people she knew. Hell, even Dumbledore poked fun at her sometimes.

"How did you manage to get pinned down over there?"

"We were brought directly into the room the little shit was staying in, that's how. He was able to let out a very high pitched scream before we were able to stun him." Dung answered with a growl. Apparently when they requested that Dobby bring them in as close to Draco as possible they didn't actually intend for him to bring them directly to him. After a quick head count Harry was relieved that no one had been seriously injured. There were a few that sustained injuries that should be looked at as soon as possible but nothing that would linger for more than a few days.

"Alright let's gather everything up and get the hell out of here." Tonks said with a look of disgust as she looked about at her gloomy surroundings. Not surprisingly there were no objections. After ducking back into the doorway that had concealed him during the fight Snape emerged back into the hall with Draco's prone body floating along behind him. Following his example everyone else withdrew their wands yet again and with a simple swish and flick they began walking out of the house with their fallen opponents trailing behind them. While the others waited for Bill and Flitwick to finish their work Harry and Snape walked through the house once more to be sure that they didn't miss anyone and they soon realized that they had. Hiding underneath the bed in the master bedroom was none other than the pug-faced queen bitch of Slytherin, Pansy Parkinson. It took them some time to get her out from under there but in the end Harry's patience was running thin and he simply hit her with the _Petrificus Totalus_ charm before reaching under the bed and dragging her out by her ankle, and not a second to soon since immediately afterwards both Snape and Harry felt it as the air around them seemed to be charged with static for a few seconds before a noise that sounded like distant thunder sounded and almost as suddenly as it had started the charged air around them quieted. That could mean only one thing. The wards had been brought down.

Suddenly getting an idea Harry sent Snape on ahead with Pansy while he stayed behind to do a little 'cleaning up.'

MMM

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Lily asked for what had to be the twentieth time since they arrived only five minutes earlier.

"Yes, I'm sure. That's their house right back over there." James answered with a sigh. He was really beginning to get annoyed with answering the same questions over and over again. His wife opened her mouth to ask yet another question, more than likely another she had asked several times before already, when she sudden cut herself off when a fairly large group suddenly appeared not but fifty feet away from where they were concealed in the brush. Unfortunately, for them anyway, they couldn't hear what was being said but considering what they had heard from Harry when he was at Hogwarts just thirty minutes before and what they were planning to do it shouldn't take the greatest imagination in the world to think of the general idea. Suddenly James had to reach out to grab his wife's arm as she began to stand up, an action that was sure to reveal their position.

"What are you doing?" He asked in a harsh whisper.

"I'm going to see if I can help. If I help Flitwick and that other man we could have those wards down in a matter of minutes. Two charms masters are certainly better than one." Lily answered while looking at her husband as if he were an idiot.

"Are you insane? Harry ejected you from his mind rather forcefully not even half an hour ago and now you plan to simply charge in there and interfere with him again?" Both parents were greatly surprised by Harry's sudden strength in Occlumency since Dumbledore had told them that his natural shields were never established due to Voldemort's killing curse and his acquired ability of Parseltongue. Obviously he neglected to tell them that his hereditary gift in that field was unlocked while he was being held by the Death Eaters.

**"**He didn't eject me from his mind." She said in a quiet voice as a pained look flashed across her face. "He bombarded me with images of his childhood with my sister and her husband." She informed him as she wiped away the tears that were welling up in her eyes. James looked at her with a pained expression for a moment before his attention was pulled back to the Raiders when Harry and Tonks disappeared with Dobby. "Where did you get those?" Lily asked when he pulled out a pair of Omninoculars from his robe pocket.

"Borrowed them from Jacob." He answered simply as he looked through them in the hopes that he would be able to see what was going on. Lily wisely chose not to ask whether or not their son knew that he had 'borrowed' them. Much to his disappointment, the moment he located Harry he had thrown a very familiar invisibility cloak over himself. James grunted in annoyance but kept looking anyway. After a few minutes a Death Eater came into view but was quickly put down. He grinned his approval at stunning the man from point blank range but unfortunately, for them anyway, they were in a position that did not offer a good vantage point towards the front of the house so with the exception of Professor Flitwick and an unknown casting charm after charm they didn't get to see very much over the next half hour or so until the Raiders began to escort many captured Death Eaters out onto the grounds.

"Well this is…" James was suddenly cut off from expressing his displeasure of the situation when a sudden roll of thunder echoed throughout the area. He was clearly hoping to see a lot more action. He looked up to the sky but was a little confused since it seemed to be a perfectly clear night.

"It wasn't thunder you fool, the wards just fell." Lily informed him while shaking her head. James just gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged his shoulders. Now that the wards were no longer a problem the two elder Potters used the tree line as cover and approached the house at a steady pace. In no time at all they were crouched down about twenty yards from where the Death Eaters were being held just as Snape approached with the body of a young girl floating along beside him. They sat there in silence unaware that a third individual was hiding not far away.

"That was some excellent charms work Mr. Weasley. I'm glad to see that your lack of field work for Gringotts has not diminished it." They heard Flitwick say to the hooded man that had worked with him on the wards. Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing and looked at the little man for a moment. Probably all thinking the same thing. 'How the hell did he know?' After a few moments of stunned silence the man reached up and lowered his hood. He enjoyed the man's company and respected him to much to try to deceive him.

"I knew it!" He said happily as he clapped his hands together.

"How?" It sounded like a weak minded way to form a question but at the moment that was the only word he could think of. If possible Flitwick's smile became even larger.

"Mr. Weasley you are the finest charms student I have ever had the pleasure of teaching, even surpassing the likes of Hestia Jones and Lily Potter. I would recognize you wand work thirty years from now." Bill and Flitwick talk quietly for a few more minutes before the Hogwarts professor informed him that he didn't need to worry about him mentioning his involvement with the Raiders. Bill had no doubt that he could trust the man and wished him a good evening before he left the cover of the anti-apperation wards to apperate back to Hogsmeade.

"Where's Potter?" They heard Dung ask in his usual gruff and slightly slurred speech as he looked around and couldn't find the young man.

"Haven't a clue. The longer I'm around the boy the more I become convinced that he is mentally unstable and the less his actions make any sense. He merely said that he was going to clean up a bit." Snape growled in annoyance. Lily was preparing to restrain James as she usually had to do after Snape made some kind of comment about their family but she was surprised to see that he wasn't even paying attention. Instead he was staring intently back towards the house with a mixture of shock and amusement battling for dominance on his face. Confused, Lily tried to follow his line of sight to see what he found so interesting and she quickly let out a surprised gasp. Luckily her gasp went unnoticed since it occurred about the same time that Snape and the others also noticed what was going on.

Apparently Harry's thoughts on 'cleaning up' were actually quite different from you standard definition. It started out relatively small in a few rooms on the upper floor but by the time Harry ran out the front door with a lit torch in his hand a few masses of flames were billowing out of several shattered windows and massive pillars of inky black smoke were rising into the night's sky.

Harry for his part was sweating profusely due to the heat and had a few smudges of soot on his face and hands. Turning back to the house, Harry pulled his arm back and threw the torch in to the air where it landed on the roof. After watching the flames dance in the darkness for a few moments Harry made his way back to the others, all of whom were looking at the burning house with a smirk.

"What are we going to do with her?" Tonks asked as she jabbed her wand in Pansy's direction. Her tone of voice showed everyone present, James and Lily included, that she had no love for any of the Parkinsons, no matter what age.

"Well she doesn't have the Dark Mark and any information that she may have we could get from either of her parents or any of these other Death Eaters for that matter. Just leave her here. She would only be taking up room." Snape answered after thinking it over for a for a moment before he pulled a bag out of his pocket and proceeded to fit each Death Eater with one of their special portkeys that would take them through the Fedelius Charm over Potter manor and directly into the holding cells in the cellar. A few people headed back before the others to make sure that there was enough room for every man or woman they had captured. The wizards that had been captured in Diagon Alley had already been questioned so they would simply send them off to the Ministry for Madam Bones and Geoffrey Stevens to worry about. Bill was just about to place one on Draco when Snape suddenly stopped him.

"_WE_ will take care of him ourselves." Was all the man said when Bill asked him why he wasn't being brought back to be questioned like everyone else. Bill tried to get answers out of Harry, Tonks and Blaise as well but had come up empty each time. Harry just told him to ask Dung when he got back to the manor. He nodded and activated the last set of portkeys and vanished seconds later while hoping that none of them would do anything that they would severely regret later.

With a wave of his wand, Snape returned Draco back to the land of the living and sneered down at the younger man as he lay on the hard earth. He seemed dazed for a moment before he took in his surroundings and realized his situation. He tried to scramble to his feet but just as he was preparing to run Tonks and Snape held onto him from both sides.

"Now now, Draco, we won't have any of that. You wouldn't want to leave before the fun starts would you?" Harry chuckled to himself. The only thing that shocked Lily and James more than the fact that it appeared that their son was about to murder the boy was the fact that Snape of all people looked genuinely amused.

"What are you going to do?" The pale faced boy asked in a very shaky voice.

"Well it seems that my assessment of you was actually correct." Harry exclaimed in mock surprise. "When your opponent isn't chained to a wall you go all to pieces without your trusty Cruciatus curse. But to satisfy you curiosity I will tell you what we plan to do with you. As the four of us were chained in that god forsaken basement I made myself a promise. I swore that I would kill any man or woman that has had the audacity to place me or any of my friends under the Cruciatus Curse. After that little fight with the Unspeakables there are now only five left. Voldemort, Lestrange, that coward Adam McNair, you and your father. We plan on cutting that number by one tonight so we are simply going to take you out and simply drop you off a cliff." Harry finished happily. If possible Draco seemed to lose even more blood from his face but Harry didn't have time to ponder this sense Pansy finally managed to break free of the binding spell Harry had placed on her and she began running out towards the road. She didn't make it very far before Harry hit her directly in the back with that trusty Dark Arts stunning spell that he had used with great effectiveness against Kingsley. He turned away from her and was about to put his wand away yet again when he saw a brief shimmer among the trees

Both Lily and James were confused as to what spell Harry had used but decided to dwell on that another time. At the moment they had more pressing matters to think about. After tearing their eyes away from the crumpled form of the teenage girl and looked back at Harry only to find that he seemed to be watching them like some predator would eye its prey. For nearly two minutes straight Harry stared intently at the two without blinking once and to say that they were starting to feel intimidated would have been an understatement. When they first noticed Harry watching them Lily's breath caught in her throat and she had yet to take another breath. While James was able to keep most of his bodily functions performing normally he was still sweating profusely and his mouth had gone completely dry. Finally Harry broke eye contact and rejoined the others just as Snape was casting the anti-apperation jinx on Malfoy before they each took hold of the same length of rope and disappeared.

"You don't think Harry will actually kill him do you?" Lily asked quietly. James' first instinct was to say no in the hopes that it would calm his wife but he couldn't bring himself to say it. In all honesty he felt that Harry was completely serious and the looks of hatred on the other's faces made their intentions perfectly clear.

"We should track that portkey fast and go get Albus." It wasn't exactly the reassuring response that Lily was looking for but it would do for the moment. Harry was hardly recognizable from the young man she had envisioned him to be at that age and she was honest enough with herself to admit that her 'abandonment' was certainly a major factor in that difference. She was almost certain that he would never look upon her as his mother but that wasn't going to stop her from trying and it would be pretty hard to mend any rift if he was locked away in Azkaban for killing that boy in a fit of anger.

MMM

"Damn, that's a long drop!" Harry shouted over the roar of the surf as it smashed into the side of the white cliffs below. He shivered slightly at the thought of such a fall before turning around to face Draco who was being held at wand point by Tonks. So far both Snape and Blaise seemed content to merely stand off to the side and observe though it was quite obvious that both were enjoying the fear that Malfoy could no longer keep hidden.

"So Malfoy, this is how your life is going to end. Not exactly the glorious death you envisioned is it? Or did you actually believe you would survive to see old age?" Harry asked with a smirk that was not unlike the one Malfoy used to direct at him.

"What do you want?" Draco asked desperately and Tonks began laughing when she looked down and noticed that the arrogant ass was standing in a puddle that was not there a moment ago.

"Sorry Malfoy, but you don't have anything to offer us. Any information you might have I'm certain Parkinson or at least half a dozen of our other prisoners have it as well so you have nothing to bargain with. We brought you out here for one reason and that is to find out if ferrets know how to fly. I'm sure we could find the answer in a book but experimentation is so much more fun, wouldn't you agree?" Tonks responded excitedly as she pushed Draco forward until he was close enough to see the jagged rocks far below.

_"EXPELLIARMUS!" _A familiar and powerful voice suddenly bellowed and Harry watched as his phoenix feather wand went sailing over the cliff to land in the frigid water below. Still watching long after his wand was out of sight Harry slowly turned his head to gaze into the eyes of Albus Dumbledore. He never once broke eye contact but he could clearly see Kingsley, Moody and two hooded figures standing at his side. It didn't take a genius to figure out who the last two were.

"Albus, Moody, pleasant evening for a walk, don't you think?" Harry commented in a surprisingly casual voice as he took a view steps away from the edge and Malfoy while his hand hovered over his second wand that was tucked into his belt. Dumbledore looked about ready to reply when his eyes suddenly went wide. For a fraction of a second Harry was confused until he heard a short scuffle behind him. He spun around just in time to see Malfoy use the distraction of Dumbledore's arrive to knock Tonks aside while grabbing her wand.

_"AVADA KEDAVRA!" _The boy roared as he leveled his stolen wand at Harry's chest. The problem with the killing curse is that it is a relatively slow moving curse, giving you time to dodge it if you are in any condition to do so. Because of this fact in a dueling situation the only logical uses for the curse is to try to catch you opponent of guard, as Tonks did with Stevens, or to launch several of them in succession in a decent sized pattern to give the other person nowhere to go without being hit. Draco obviously didn't know this since he lowered his wand slightly and his eyes went wide as he watched the curse fly towards Harry with a look of anticipation on his face. It must have come as a great shock to him when Harry merely sidestepped the curse before drawing his Basilisk fang wand and slamming a powerful banishing charm directly into his chest sending the pale faced git flying backwards along the same path Harry's first wand traveled just moments before.

Not even waiting to see if his curse had hit its mark, Harry rushed towards the cliff's edge the moment the spell left his wand. Within a span of only a few seconds he reached his destination and slid to his knees as he reached out to grab Tonks who was holding onto the edge with both her arms and one leg as the majority of her body weight was trying to pull her over. Snape and Blaise reached them just seconds later to help him pull her onto firmer ground as she clutched her arms around Harry's neck with wide eyes as her breathing came in short quick gasps. Tonks, while incredibly strong willed and brave was by no means a great fan of heights. Tonks was quickly able to get herself under control again and released her grip on Harry in favor of moving farther away from the edge of the cliff. Only then did Harry's attention turn back to his five uninvited guests, all of them seemed to be quite shocked at what had just happened. The look in his eyes and his fluid movement as he stood back up had even Moody slightly intimidated.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" He hissed out coldly as Snape came up to stand at his side while Blaise made sure Tonks was alright. Kingsley looked tongue tied at the moment and Moody looked to be just watching curiously to see where this conversation was going to go. Dumbledore however was a surprise. His eyes never left the spot that Malfoy had previously occupied but he was trying his best to answer, floundering over his words as he went along.

"I, I couldn't let you kill him." He answered weakly after a trying for a few moments to get the words out.

"THANKS TO YOUR INTERFERENCE I WAS FORCED TO DO EXACTLY THAT! AND YOU NEARLY GOT TONKS KILLED IN THE PROCESS!" Harry roared at the man in rage. The sheer volume of his voice and the anger in it finally drew Dumbledore's eyes to him. "But, to put your worries at ease," He continued calmly but with a great deal of sarcasm. "We did not come out here to kill Malfoy. We were merely going to tie a rope around his ankles and hang him over the edge and wait for Lucius to show up to rescue him."

"What?" Albus asked sharply. "I was told you planned to throw him off this cliff." He said in confusion. Harry looked at the hooded forms of his 'parents' before looking back to the headmaster.

"Despite what many people in the Order still believe, we will not kill someone in cold blood." Snape spoke up. "What we said was merely for the benifit of that stupid bitch, Millicent Bullstrode, who was hiding only ten yards away from your two spies there. She would certainly tell someone what had happened and they would tell Lucius. Though he has no love for Draco, he is still his only son and heir, and he would have been honor bound to at least look for him. And believe it or not, Death Eaters are capable of tracking portkeys as well." He answered with a sneer. He was almost as annoyed at Dumbledore's interference as Harry was.

"In fact," Harry continued for him. "One of our white masked friends arrived underneath an invisibility cloak just moments before you did. It may or may not have been Lucius but if not it was certainly someone close to him but because of your 'timely' arrival and Draco's resulting death he had no reason to stay and left before his body even hit the water."

"Harry," Albus began with a sigh. "We must all work together if we have a chance at defeating Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

"Yes, we should work together. The only problem with that is that we are the only ones doing anything productive. I find it laughable that we actually had to kidnap the head of the Department of Mysteries to get the Ministry going in the right direction. Today they finally got going and used the information we supplied them and even now the Aurors and Unspeakables are out there in force making arrests. But what have you done?

You had the right idea at the beginning of the summer when you decided to change the tactics the Order used but you kept delaying making your first move. Now that we are doing what most of the Order were nervous about trying you seem to be content with playing a waiting game while we do the work. The fact is that the Order hasn't done a damn thing in months and the only information you have provided has been worthless. I'm going to say this only once, do not interfere with us again. The rest of the world is finally starting to move Albus so I suggest you get off your ass or you're going to be left behind. You can start by fishing Malfoy's body out of the water." Harry finished hotly before turning around and walking back over to Blaise and Tonks. "And find my wand while you're at it." He added over his shoulder.

MMM

"God, I wish I could have seen Albus' face when you said that." Dung roared with laughter when Tonks finished telling him what had happened as they were relaxing in the sitting room. For the most part everyone else was either in bed by the time they got back or out getting drunk since they haven't had very much time to themselves lately and didn't know when they would get any more. Only Bill, Dung, Susan and John remained. Thinking of what everyone else was doing at that particular time gave Harry an idea. An idea that was made all the better by the thought of sitting through Sirius' will reading the following day.

"Anyone care for a drink?" He asked as he stood up and walked over to the cabinet. Everyone looked at Harry in surprise, well except for Dung who got a huge grin on his face.

"I've never turned down a drink in my life." He said as he hoped out of his chair.

"I'm sure you haven't." Harry replied dryly. The enormous stress they had been under lately probably had a hand in everyone's acceptance except for Susan and Blaise who chose to go seek their amusements else where. "Actually I'm surprised that this stuff hasn't been touched yet considering the type of people we have here."

"It's probably because of your threat to basically kill anyone who stole anything in the house." Tonks said with a raised eyebrow. Harry looked at Dung who nodded in confirmation before his eyes went wide.

"Jesus Christ, I only meant that in general." He said in surprise.

"Either way it was very convincing. For the first two weeks or so everyone pretty much walked on tiptoes around here and avoided doing anything that someone would normally need their host's permission for, like invading your liquor cabinet. After that they calmed down a bit and stayed out of things because they got to know you and you earned their respect." Dung explained before Harry handed him a full bottle of firewhiskey. "Ah, thank you my friend."

"Keep it if you want, disgusting stuff that is."

"When have you ever had firewhiskey? You don't exactly seem the type" John asked as he joined Dung at his bottle.

"Weasley twins." Harry answered simply as if that explained everything, and apparently it did as everyone seemed to understand and Tonks and Bill laughed. "I prefer to be able to taste what I'm drinking instead of clutching at my throat as if it were being incinerated. Ah, here we are." He said happily as he found a rather ancient bottle of scotch.

"Potter, do you know how much that bottle is worth?" Snape asked with wide eyes as he read the label.

"Who cares how much it's worth, it's scotch, it's meant for drinking not collecting dust."

MMM

Several hours later Susan, who had gone to bed previously, and Blaise, who was reading in the library, were pulled out of their respective nocturnal activities by the noise drifting up from downstairs. The two met on their way down the hall and descended the stairs to find out what the hell was going on. The disturbance had Blaise quite upset and she was ready to give everyone involved a piece of her mind but when the two young women approached the sitting room they could only look on in undisguised shock.

The drinking that had begun shortly after their return was obviously a bit more extensive than they thought it would be and when other members of the Raiders returned from their own nightly pursuits they had joined in and an impromptu party had apparently been started. The two girls just stared open mouthed at the room full of their drunk 'colleagues' as they laughed and took turns singing the most tasteless songs they had ever heard. The more obscene and graphic the song the louder everyone laughed. Of the many different scenes from around the room two stood out in Blaise's mind the most.

Her father, the 'evil potions master', was standing with Bill and a few others laughing and carrying on like they were all the best of friends. He never behaves in a friendly manner when around so many people, he did have a reputation to uphold after all.

The other was on the other side of the room where Tonks was sitting in Harry's lap. She had her arms around his neck and was laughing hysterically at the lewd song he was currently singing. This was a shock for several reasons. The first was the fact that he was actually singing which was almost as surprising as her father's behavior but also the nature of the song since he had always come across as the type that would not approve of such things. But above all was his flirtatious behavior. She never believed that Harry was gay or anything but he never seemed to take much interest in any type of 'companionship'. She knew that he was with Cho Chang the year before but she had always had the impression that he was never really thrilled about the fact. Despite herself, Blaise couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy towards the young metamorphmagus and her current 'activities' with Harry. Those thoughts however were quickly driven from her mind as her father, Severus Snape, of all people began singing the next song. A tune he entitled, 'my pecker just won't stand up anymore.' With her face flaming red from embarrassment she grabbed her Hufflepuff companion by the arm and quickly fled the area.

TBC


	19. Lord Black

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Nineteen: Lord Black **

"Master Harry, Master Harry!" Harry distantly heard a rather high pitched voice whispering in a rather strained manner. He didn't recognize the voice but at the moment he had no intention of responding. He felt absolutely awful and he had no intention of doing anything but staying right where he was and sleeping for the rest of time. As he lay there, ignoring the attempts to gain his attention, he vowed that he would never take another drink again. Granted most people have made that same vow at one time or another and it was just as easily forgotten on some later date.

"Master Harry!" He groaned slightly as the squeaky voice seemed to cut right through his head. When the person began shaking his arm to get his attention he seemed to realize that they weren't going to simply go away if ignored so he turned his head in their direction and cracked open his eyes slightly which he just as quickly closed again when the sun shining in the windows stabbed painfully into his left eye. Taking a bit more precaution, he half buried his head into his pillow and used only his right eye. In his current condition he had a little trouble adjusting his magical eye for a moment but he got it eventually and noticed a house elf he hadn't met before.

"Who are you?" He asked groggily.

"I is Annie Master Harry Sir." He was too tired to show his surprise at meeting a house elf with a human name. A house elf that seemed to be looking at anything other than him. In fact she looked distinctly uncomfortable and absolutely embarrassed.

"Something wrong?"

"No Master Sir." She stuttered out while focusing on spot on the wall. "Twinkle just sent Annie to wake you for Master's meeting with the Goblins Sir." Harry lay there for several moments with his eyes shut tight before he groaned again and pushed himself into a sitting position while putting his feet on the floor. His head snapped up when the odd elf squeaked and he saw her eyes go wide before she quickly diverted his eyes again. He sat there with a confused look on his face before he looked around to see what had her so nervous. It didn't take him long to find out. His arm quickly snapped out to grab hold of the sheet to cover himself.

"Oi, give that back!" The sudden addition of a new voice sent Harry flying to his feet with a loud shout, leaving his sheet behind. Harry's sudden movement and the return to view of his, um, bits and pieces, caused Annie to shout out loud before she quickly popped away. Spinning around all thoughts of nudity flew from his mind, well his nudity anyway. His eyes went as wide as dinner plates and his mouth nearly hit the floor when he saw a very groggy Nymphadora Tonks propped up on her elbow weakly reaching for the sheet that had, until recently, covered her. "Can't believe how inconsiderate people are." She muttered to herself as she grasped it but suddenly she stopped and seemed to go stiff. She slowly raised her head and looked at Harry with much of the same look that Harry was showing. A look that betrayed shock, embarrassment, horror and as their eyes took in each other's, 'assets', a little appreciation for what they were looking at as the memories of the night before slowly started to come back.

However, Tonks at least, was pulled out of her almost paralyzed states when the door to Harry's room burst open and damn near the entire household rushed in with wands raised, ready for any confrontation, though most of them looked as if they could use a healthy dose of Pepper-up potion. The noise spurred Tonks into action and she was finally able to recover her sheet but it was a bit to late as a few of them were able to get peek, though it would be a few moments after the fact that they would realize what they were seeing. Harry however wasn't so lucky. He didn't seem to notice the door slamming open or even the large group of people that rushed into his room.

"Harry, Harry snap out of it." Taking his eyes off of Tonks he raised his head and saw the assorted group before him. Bill was looking into his eyes with amusement while Snape seemed to roll his eyes and stalk back out the door. Everyone else, Dung and his friends were barely holding themselves upright as they laughed hysterically. "Decide to do a little redecorating Harry?" Bill asked with a grin that was disturbingly similar to that of Fred and George. Harry looked confused for a moment before he looked around and found his room in absolute shambles. There wasn't a piece of furniture left upright and even many of the pictures on the wall had been knocked to the floor. However, unlike the last time something like this had happened, it wasn't a release of anger that had caused the destruction. Finally snapping out of his stupor Harry looked down with wide eyes before he bent over and picked up two throw pillows that usually rested on the couch that was flipped over on the other side of the room. Using one to cover his backside and the other to cover, other things, Harry sucked in what dignity he had left and walked casually to the bathroom.

"We'll see you and your pet iguana downstairs Harry." Bill called after him before he finally lost his composure and began laughing with the others. He waved happily to Tonks as she peeked out from under her sheet before leading the others out of the room.

Harry and Tonks sat at opposite ends of the table while they were eating breakfast and for the most part they kept their eyes firmly fixed to the table. Unfortunately if you find yourself in a similar situation it is bound to be a very embarrassing experience if the majority of your companions happen to thieves and hooligans that have a very crude sense of humor. In the end Harry decided to cut his losses and retreat to the library when even Susan began poking fun at him. However he was disappointed to find that his refuge was already occupied by Snape who was looking over some rather ancient looking potions manuscripts.

"So Potter…" He began in that silky condescending voice but Harry quickly cut him off.

"Don't even start Snape, I had enough of that downstairs. Besides, my memory might be a bit hazy with some details but you weren't exactly a pillar of morality last night either." Harry snapped before he sank down into one of the tall leather chairs. Snape's mouth snapped shut as he remembered all the crude songs he sung all the laughing and carrying on. Acting like a, like a, Gryffindor. He shuddered at the thought. The two sat in absolute silence for several minutes before Fawkes showed up in his customary burst of flames before he perched himself on the back of Harry's chair and dropped a odd shaped letter in his lap. No matter how many times he sees the phoenix arrive like that Harry just never gets tired of seeing it. Opening the letter he found the reason for its strange shape as his wand fell out. Placing his wand in his pocket he unfolded the letter and groaned quietly to himself when he recognized Dumbledore's loopy handwriting. Despite the fact that Fawkes had delivered the letter he held out hope that it was from someone else at Hogwarts and just had Dumbledore send it off.

_Harry_

_As the primary beneficiary of Sirius' estate it would customarily be your responsibility to inform the others named in his Will of their need to attend on the day of the reading. However due to your unusual situation I have notified most of those who Sirius wished to attend with the exception of those who are currently working within your 'organization'. Below are the names of those to be informed. This letter will act as a portkey and transport you and your party to the lobby of Gringotts at 10:30. _

_Albus_

_Fletcher, Mundungus_

_Snape, Severus_

_Tonks, Nymphadora _

_Weasley, William_

Harry breathed a sigh of relief that Dumbledore didn't mention the events of the previous night and hoped that the man would just let it be. There were serious problems between the two of them but the Headmaster is the type of man that usually feels the need to try talk through a problem when the only thing it will do is make the problem bigger. Sometimes it is just better to let things be and fix themselves. Shaking off such thoughts he concentrated on the upcoming meeting and he was deeply confused about some things.

"Snape, I received a letter from Gringotts last week informing me of the will reading. Why am I just now getting instructions to inform others of their need to attend?" He asked the man curiously. Normally he would prefer to ask someone else but after what happened at breakfast he didn't want to open himself up to any more wisecracks when there wasn't a need. Snape looked momentarily surprised but quickly composed himself and looked on with his usual sneer. "Knock off the evil potions master routine for a bit. I need a straight answer not snide comments about how ignorant I am." Despite his annoyance Harry was surprised when the man gave him just that. Of course he did sneer the entire time.

"The less people that attend such proceedings the smoother it goes. The more people that attend the greater the chance for conflict and legal challenges by those who are unhappy with what they were left, or rather not left. Unlike the muggle world where appeals can go on forever, once the will has been read and those present have had a chance to speak if they wish, the goblins close the meeting and it is done with. As Black's heir you are required to be present but everyone else is inconsequential. They are notified a few hours before the reading to cause greater conflicts with their normal schedule in the hopes that they just wont show up or they arrive late or the possibility that the heir will simply not inform them which is better. If they are not at the bank when the meeting starts they are not allowed in and must simply take what they get without the chance to appeal so the goblins won't have to deal with them." He explained quickly before going back to his own work.

"Well that's sensible I guess. Alright, we have to leave in about half an hour!" Harry stated before standing up again. Snape's head shot back up and he looked at Harry as if he were crazy.

"There is no 'we' Potter. I have no desire or intention of accompanying you. I have no interest in the mutt's last wishes."

"You're name is on this list so you're going." Snape looked confused for a moment before his eyes hardened.

"You are in no position to order me to do anything Potter." He said in a dangerous tone but Harry didn't pay any attention.

"It wasn't meant to be an order, I was stating a fact. While it is a distinct possibility that Sirius wanted you present to give himself an opportunity at a final prank the fact remains that curiosity will eventually bring you around. Now, the portkey leaves at 10:30 so be downstairs on time." He responded with a grin before leaving without giving Snape a chance to argue. Informing Dung of the plans was relatively easy since he just walked up to him told him to get ready and walked back out of the while ignoring the comments of those around him. Bill was a similar situation but the look in his eyes showed Harry exactly what he was thinking so he beat a hasty retreat in search of Tonks while cursing all Weasleys. After a bit of thought he decided to take the coward's way out and sent Twinkle to let Tonks know since he was pretty sure that he probably would be able to string together a coherent sentence if he started thinking about what had happened last night and what he had seen that morning.

As the time grew closer Harry was standing alone in the entrance hall just wanting to get this over with. Despite the outstanding security at Gringotts Harry wasn't taking any chances and was wearing his battlerobes as well as his emergency portkey just incase. Once again he charmed his robes to look the same rust color as he had before on all previous raids. He didn't know why he was still doing it but he just had a feeling that their battlerobes should remain a secret for now.

Truth be told Harry had no interest what so ever in the Black fortune or anything that went with. If he had his way he would simply give the money away and burn Grimmauld Place to the ground. 'Though I'm told it looks much better now.' He chuckled to himself when he thought of the charms Bill and Mundungus had placed throughout the house. He was pulled out of his amusement however when the objects of his previous thought approached him with wide grins on their faces. Bill would be taking a separate portkey to the bank a few minutes after them so that any passers by would not see him arrive with them and then connect him with the Raiders.

"You say one word and I swear I'll break both your legs." He growled to the two men but his threat didn't seem to faze their humorous attitudes. They did, however, keep their mouths shut. Just seconds later Tonks entered the room and his anger quickly turned to panic. With a loud squeak he quickly turned away and suddenly found the running boards along the wall very fascinating. Even with threats of violence hanging over them this was just to much for Bill and Dung who nearly collapsed in a fit of barking laughter. Tonks, like Harry was also wearing her battlerobes, just stood there as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on and ignoring the actions of her three companions. When the timer on his watch began to chime Harry nearly jumped out of his skin before he withdrew Dumbledore's letter from his pocket and turned around, still keeping his eyes safely diverted. As he held it out both Dung and Tonks took hold but when a forth hand joined theirs Harry couldn't help but smirk when he looked up to see Snape standing there. He was pretty sure the man had spent the vast majority of his time upstairs shouting to the walls that was not going, if only to prove Harry wrong. But in the end his curiosity got the better of him just like the boy said it would.

MMM

Their sudden appearance in the lobby caused quite a stir considering the details of their pardon had only just been released that morning and since all of the ridiculous articles from the year before many people had canceled their subscriptions to the Daily Prophet. More than a handful of people had even drawn their wands but thought better of it when eight goblin soldiers formed up around them and escorted them towards a guarded door off to the side of the lobby. They were led down a seemingly endless corridor that was lined with numerous doors to what Harry assumed was various offices and storerooms but he couldn't be sure since he couldn't read the language written above each door. Occasionally they passed various goblins that were moving about on some business of theirs but they didn't seem to pay them any attention which was perfectly fine with Harry at this point. He just wanted to get this over with.

Finally they were led through an open door into a finely furnished sitting room. There were many arm chairs and couches scattered throughout the room, each upholstered in the finest royal blue velvet that contrasted nicely with the highly polished hard wood floors and mahogany paneled walls. Harry sighed deeply in annoyance when he realized that they were not the first to arrive. In fact it seemed that they were probably the last. He noticed Dumbledore right away but with him was Professor McGonagall and many of the Weasleys who Harry was glad to see. Unfortunately Ron was present as well as Hermione. Taking a quick look around he was greatly relieved that his 'parents' had not had the bad taste to show their faces at this meeting. With that in mind he walked over to the far side of the room where he noticed Remus sitting off by himself. To be quite honest the man looked like hell and Harry had no doubt about what caused it.

"Remus." He said quietly as he sank into the chair opposite of his former professor and friend. The man gave no indication that he had even heard him for several minutes before he raised his head up to look at him. Harry almost screamed in fury when he saw the haunted and hopeless look in the man's eyes. He wanted nothing more at that very moment then to hunt his parents down and experiment with some very nasty curses for causing the kind werewolf so much pain. Granted, Harry still felt a great deal of pain and a supreme sense of betrayal himself but he would much rather try to help someone he cared about than deal with his own emotional distress.

"How could they do it, Harry? We were their best friends, you were their son, how could they simply abandon us like that?" He asked in quiet voice that was devoid of any emotion.

"Because they were selfish and ignorant!" Harry said bluntly in an unforgiving tone. "They never thought about the consequences of their actions and as a result Susan's parents were killed and Sirius went to prison. I spent ten years in hell and you were left alone, blaming yourself, always questioning yourself on how you should have known that something was wrong. Don't look at me like that Remus, I may not have spent all that much time around you when compared to others but I can still read you like a book. I should know better than most what a person looks like when they're wallowing in self pity." He continued when the older man looked ready to protest the way Harry described him.

"You know, for the longest time I had always believed that you were a great deal like James with a little bit of Lily's personality added in for good measure. But over the last few months I think I have to revise my assessment." Remus said with a sad smile.

"Well I'm glad someone finally sees that. Ever since I started at Hogwarts I have had people telling me that I'm exactly like _HIM_. Other than Snape everyone said it like it was something to be proud of. What they based their comparisons on I'll never know since I've never played a prank in my life much less deliberately humiliated someone."

"Harry, despite what has happened in the last week, you can't really judge either James' or Sirius' character on one single memory from Snape's childhood."

"Don't try to bullshit me Remus," Harry responded immediately with a raised eyebrow. "I was the target of bullies for the vast majority of my life so I have an intimate knowledge of how they work. If they target one person to publicly humiliate for their own amusement then you can guarantee that there are others as well. Much like Draco Malfoy actually, well until he failed his flying lesson anyway." Harry finished in an offhand manner. It was clear that Remus wanted to deny Harry's words but he found that he honestly couldn't. He thought about for a brief moment until he final statement registered in his head.

"What do mean, he failed his flying lesson?" He asked in confusion. Harry looked surprised for a moment before he realized that Remus probably hadn't heard about what had happened. He quickly retold the story while they waited for the meeting to begin. Remus was both shock and proud that they had found a way around the wards but quickly grew annoyed at Dumbledore's apparent lack in faith and trust in Harry.

"So that's why Lucius looked more disdainful than usual." He mused out loud catching Harry's complete attention.

"Excuse me?" He asked in confusion.

MMM

Dumbledore was currently standing on the other side of the room speaking quietly with Snape and McGonagall when a very angry Harry Potter stormed over to them. Throughout the entire conversation they had danced around the issue of Malfoy's death and if he heard one more apology Snape was going to curse the old man. It was this reason that he was glad for a distraction, even if it was from Potter.

"The Malfoys are here?" Harry spat out as he glared at his 'former' Headmaster. Both Dumbledore and McGonagall were surprised at the sheer hatred and venom in his voice but Snape quickly grew visibly angry himself. Albus was caught off guard for a moment by both the question and his tone before regaining his composure.

"Yes, they are. Since Mrs. Malfoy is Sirius' cousin she has the legal right to be here." He answered in a calm voice but it was clear that he didn't not like the situation much either. Harry stood there for several minutes with the conclusion that the Magical world had in fact gone mad. The very idea that wanted criminals were free to conduct their affairs as normal was absolutely ridiculous. Granted, he could understand the goblins stance on remaining neutral in such conflicts as opposed to picking a side and refusing any of their opposition access to their gold. But the Ministry has always had to pick a side and yet they ignore the danger of powerful enemies gaining more financial support through the final wishes of a friend or relative.

The solution is quite simple, pass legislation that prohibits wanted criminals from collecting any inheritance or profiting from any 'legitimate' business arrangements. Its quite obvious really but the Magical world is so ass backwards that it probably hasn't even occurred to them that a government was actually supposed to govern, hence the term 'government'. Harry was pulled out of these thoughts when he heard Snape loudly demand to know where the Malfoys had gone.

"They were taken directly to the conference room immediately after we arrived. They obviously didn't want to run the risk of violence breaking out." Dumbledore answered. It wasn't until Snape nodded curtly and turned around that Albus realized what was going on and what his young colleague planed to do. He made to call out after him in an attempt to calm him down but someone else beat him to it.

"SEVERUS, STOP!" Harry shouted in a loud and forceful voice. Everyone, Snape included, turned to look at Harry in shock for addressing the man with his given name, which he only permitted a few to do. "I know perfectly well how you feel." He began again in a calmer tone. "Malfoy's time will come soon enough but this is not it. While they are here they are under the protection of the goblins and we can't afford to make another powerful enemy by settling a score within these walls." He said while looking the man directly in the eye without blinking. The only thing that surprised those gathered in that room more than what Harry had said was the fact that after a few moments of internal struggle Snape actually diverted his gaze and nodded in agreement before he went to sit in front of fireplace and just stared into the flames. McGonagall joined him a few moments later but for the most part they just sat in silence.

Just after Snape had left Harry turned around only to be met with a tight fierce hug from Mrs. Weasley who had been waiting for Harry to have a free moment. When he first walked in the door with Snape, Tonks, and Dung she took several steps forward, intending two intercept him as soon as possible, but when she saw his eyes land on Remus she decided to wait. She didn't know why but for the last week Remus had been in a horrible mood. Irritability, loss of appetite and bouts of severe depression was the short list of what has been plaguing him. She dearly hoped that Harry could talk some sense into him before he went out and did something foolish.

Like everyone else both her and her husband were greatly shocked at not only Harry's tone of voice towards the Headmaster but also how he effectively dealt with Snape. Shaking her head to rid herself of such thoughts she finally decided that she had waited long enough and headed over to greet Harry. Arthur, Fred and George were right behind her but Ron and Hermione wisely stayed back, both doing their level best not to be seen.

"How are you Harry dear? Have you been eating well?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a motherly voice as she released him and stepped back to get a good look. Despite the reason for being at Gringotts or the knowledge that Lucius Malfoy was nearby Harry couldn't keep a smile off his face which was a good thing considering she looked like she was ready to burst into tears as she got a look at his scarred face up close for the first time.

"I'm perfectly fine Mrs. Weasley and yes I have been eating well. A house elf named Twinkle pretty much demands that eat at least two helpings at every meal. It would seem even elves think I'm a bit scrawny." Harry replied in an attempt to lighten the Weasley matriarch's mood. Unfortunately it didn't work. With a loud sob she threw her arms around Harry and cried as she apologized for what everyone else had done and believed about him. After recovering from the initial collision Harry awkwardly patted her on the back in the hopes that it would calm her down despite the fact that he could hardly breathe while in her grasp. Mr. Weasley was able to pry his wife off of him and led her over to a comfortable chair where she could pull herself together. After catching his breath once again Harry looked up to see the twins grinning at him.

'Oh no.' He thought to himself with pity when he saw the looks in their eyes. 'What the hell do they have on their minds?' He asked as he racked his brain trying to think of anything that they could possibly use against him.

"So Harry…" Fred started with an exaggerated smile.

"We were just talking…"

"To Old Dung ov…" They got no further before Harry's hand shot up with his Basilisk fang wand clutched in his fingers. Fred's eyes crossed as he stared at the tip of Harry's wand that was pointed directly between his eyes before he looked into Harry's face.

"Speak of that to anyone, anyone at all and not even your parents will recognize your bodies! Do I make myself clear?" The twin's eyes went wide as they nodded so quickly that Harry was surprised that they didn't break their necks. "Excellent! It's great to see you two again." He continued with a broad smile before giving the two a quick hug before making a beeline towards the old thief.

"That kid has taken one too many shots to the head." George muttered to himself while he thought about every word Harry had said.

"The first bit of information we get about him in months that would make a good joke and now we can't even tell people about it." Fred whined.

"Well, he never said that we couldn't write it down." George reassured him with a grin. "Besides, whatever Harry can do to us will be worth it, pranking Ron is starting to get very boring."

"That's true. But just to be safe lets wait until Harry goes back to wherever it is he goes."

MMM

"_DUNG_!" Harry hiss quietly as he approached the man who was standing alone in the corner smoking his pipe. Raising his eyes to see who had spoken he seemed to go slightly pale and began coughing as he dropped his pipe. Thinking that the goblins wouldn't appreciate a burned carpet, Harry picked the smoking pipe off the floor and pushed it back into its owner's hands. "From now on keep your mouth shut when it comes to my private life." He snapped. Dung didn't have time to respond since at that very moment Griphook and a goblin Harry didn't recognize came in to escort them to the meeting. Harry walked with Griphook and the other goblin, Dankit who was the manager of the Black accounts, ahead of the others. For the few minutes that it took to reach the meeting room that the reading would be held in Griphook and Dankit gave him a brief rundown on what the various accounts had been doing and what a merger between the two accounts could mean. Harry didn't understand a damn word they had said but he got the feeling that while the Black family wasn't as prosperous as the Potter family they were still very wealthy. Thankfully the all the financial mumbo jumbo stopped when they reached a set of double doors at the end of the corridor. Harry wanted nothing more than to go in and get this whole thing over with but Griphook held him back as he waved the others in. For a brief moment he heard Snape growl as he walked in the door, presumable from seeing Malfoy, but thankfully no further sounds of anger were heard.

"Mr. Potter, I held you back because of your unique position gives you very little time for the formalities of official meetings regarding your investments." Griphook began but Harry waved him off.

"I don't really know much about finances and I'm not really interested in them. My time has to be spent making Voldemort's life hell, not making money." Harry explained thinking that the goblin brought it up in hopes of getting him to make more investments which would bring Griphook more commissions.

"That is precisely why I bring this up." When Harry looked on in confusion Griphook continued. "Humans are different from Goblins in many more ways than just appearances Mr. Potter. While a goblin needs no motivation to fight and their resolve and moral never waver the same cannot be said for humans. If they know nothing but misery and loss they will surely fail."

"What's your point?"

"One of your recent investments is doing quite well, but with enough backing it could be doing much better in terms of branching out to other locations as well as research and development." He explained as he handed Harry a file. _'Weasley Wizard Wheezes'_

"What does Fred and George's shop have to do with Voldemort?" Harry asked as he looked at his account manager as if he were crazy. Griphook rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly.

"Mr. Potter, that has been your most productive investment this quarter, even outselling Zonko's by thirty two percent. The humans in this community want something to take their minds of the present conflict, and Weasley Wizard Wheezes has the most 'distracting' merchandise. The fact that the majority of their customers happens to be adults clearly shows the reason for these profits." Even with his limited knowledge on how such things work Harry could still clearly see what Griphook was talking about.

"What would you suggest?"

"My advice is to buy out the Weasleys and expand while keeping them on as for research for a percentage." Harry thought about it for a minute and came to the conclusion that the twins would never sell their shares of the business not even to him nor would he want to buy them out. That store was their baby. On the other hand Griphook did have a point.

"That store is called Weasley Wizard Wheezes for a reason, it's theirs not mine. However I would like to transfer one hundred thousand galleons into their vault on the condition that every knut is used for expansion and development." Griphook looked at him as if he had two heads or something before making some notations in his file. Obviously he wasn't used to someone simply giving away that much money when it would increase revenue enough to cover the losses. After he finished Griphook closed his folder and led Harry into the room.

Without even taking in his surroundings Harry immediately sought out Lucius Malfoy. He and his wife were sitting on one side of a rather long polished black table. They were sitting in the middle of the table and were glaring at everyone else who chose to sit opposite them. They were of course looking as self absorbed as usual however Lucius looked particularly cold. Harry was a bit confused by Narcissa's behavior. She gave no outward sign that she even cared that her only son was kill not even twelve hours ago. Taking a step into the room Lucius finally noticed him and shot him a look filled with more hatred than even Voldemort could muster, Harry only grinned in response. Looking for a spot to sit down he was happy to see that the chair directly across from the Malfoys was open, unfortunately it was in between Tonks and Snape. Seeing no alternative he took a seat and kept his eyes on Lucius and tried not to think about Tonks.

"Draco couldn't come?" Harry asked with a cheeky grin. Lucius simply glared and everyone could tell it was taking all his self restraint not to attack the boy in front of him.

"Now that we are all here we can begin. I am Bullgluk, one of the managers here at Gringotts as well as a legal advisor for Mr. Black. To my right is Dankit, manager of the Black family accounts. To my left is Griphook, manager of the Potter family accounts." Harry nodded briefly to Bullgluk in greeting which he returned as the old goblin sorted through various parchments. After getting everything in order Bullgluk stood up. "The Will itself is merely a description of how Mr. Black wished his estate to be divided. However he has left instruction for several letters to be handed out afterwards."

"I Sirius Black do declare this to be my last Will and Testament yadda yadda yadda and all that stuff." Harry snorted at hearing that and Remus and the twins chuckled while nearly everyone else looked at Bullgluk with an offended expression. "That's what it says." The goblin said with a shake of his head while tapping the parchment with his glasses. Harry let out a short burst of laughter but quickly got that under control.

"I names my godson Harry Potter as my sole heir and primary beneficiary…"

"I object this." Narcissa shouted as she stood up and glared at Harry. "The _boy_ is not a Black, he cannot inherit the Black estate as long as another Black is still alive." She declared angrily.

"Really, as I understand it the wizarding world is still so ass backwards that a woman cannot hold the position as head of the family, nor can she have direct control over family accounts. So who did you have in mind?" Harry asked with a slight smile. Everyone, even Snape looked at him in surprise for a moment. They obviously didn't think that he would know details such as that.

"My son Draco is the perfect candidate to head the Black family." She said hatefully as she continued to stare at him. Harry's eyes went wide for a moment before he started laughing uncontrollably.

"You didn't tell her Lucius?" He continued to laugh. Lucius obviously didn't think that his wife would push for Draco to gain Harry's inheritance and it was just as obvious that he hadn't told his wife about their son's recent demise. Normal a parent losing a child is not something to laugh at but a child like Draco and parents like Lucius and Narcissa are an exception.

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you Mrs. Malfoy but Draco met with an unfortunate accident last night so he will not be joining us for the rest of his life." For a moment it sounded as if all the air in the room was suddenly sucked out. Looking down the table it was obvious that Mrs. Malfoy wasn't the only one kept in the dark. In fact the only ones that didn't look surprised were the ones that were there or the ones that Harry told, Dung and Remus. Though he knew Bill still made a show of being shocked since he was supposed to be in Egypt.

Narcissa looked at her husband and the look on her face as he glared across the table told her all she needed to know. With a strangled cry she jumped up and leveled her wand at Harry but he was already on his feet and in no time the woman's wand was flying across the room and Harry's wand was now pointed at Lucius who was halfway to his feet but froze hunched over as he looked up into Harry's eyes. That look told him all he needed to know. While he knew the circumstances behind his son's death he now knew that Potter felt no remorse and he would have no problem doing the same to him. In that brief moment their eyes met the boy reminded him more of the Dark Lord than he cared to imagine.

"MY SISTER WILL TEAR YOU APART!" Narcissa screamed in rage as she grasped her hand that previously held her wand.

"Bellatrix and I will meet soon enough, sooner than she would like I would expect." Harry replied coldly with a sardonic smile. He twitched his wand just slightly but Lucius got the message. Straightening up he helped his wife to her feet and the two quickly moved to the door.

"This isn't over Potter, the Dark Lord will force you to watch all those you care about die before he finally finishes you." Lucius sneered at him from the door. Harry raised an eyebrow before stepping back from the table and approached the man.

"That pathetic wizard you crawl on your knees for is going to die, I'm going to be the one to kill him. And when I'm done, I'm going to eat his heart." Harry told him in a cold voice devoid of any emotion before patting him on one cheek before turning his back on him as if he were nothing and returning to the table. He wanted nothing more than to blast the man into oblivion but he could not violate the goblins rules regarding the protection of their customers. However a shrewd idea popped into his head, insane but shrewd nonetheless, and a plan was slowly forming. The Malfoys left with nothing more said but after Harry retook his seat he looked around in confusion for a moment since everyone still seemed unwilling or unable to say anything.

"What?"

"Harry, you still have the whole cold, evil, sinister man thing going on." Tonks informed him as she leaned over slightly. He suddenly realized that most of these people had never seen him like that before so it must have been a bit of a shock. Within seconds that same kind and passionate look returned to his vibrant green eyes and his cold smirk was replaced with a grimace as he massaged the muscles in his jaw.

"That was all an act?" Moody asked in surprise.

"That was good wasn't it? being stuck in a house with Snape for nearly a month will teach you the value of the right facial expression for the right occasion." Harry relied after his tightened muscles had been relieved.

"I'm usually very good at reading people Potter but last night and just now even I thought you were perfectly serious." Moody complimented.

"That's probably because both times I was 'perfectly serious'. Everything I said was the truth, well not the whole eating Voldemort's heart thing, that was just for show, I'm not really into cannibalism. If you're going to threaten someone you should certainly do it in a fashion that will make the person believe every word." He explained, finishing in a tone as if he were lecturing a class on the proper techniques for issuing life threatening violence. When Mrs. Weasley demanded to know where and why Draco was killed Harry simply told them all to ask Dumbledore later. She didn't like the answer but held her tongue so that they could finish their current meeting.

"Oh, yes, where were we. Lets see, ah yes." He said before he got to the first and quickly mumbled everything he had already read. "Harry Potter as my sole heir and primary beneficiary. All holding and properties, unless otherwise specified, will be transferred into his name. It is my wish that though this money and property is now his to do with as he pleases, it remain separate from the Potter family fortune in the hopes that at some later date a member of the Black family will be worthy of the title goes with it. Harry incase you didn't understand that, I want you and whatever family you may have in the future to oversee my families businesses and such until a Black that isn't a complete git comes along, whether it's tomorrow or five hundred years from now. I also leave you my motorbike and hope you have as much fun with it as I did. Molly probably would have killed me if I had given it to you while I was alive but she can't touch me now so no worries.

Ask Bullgluk for your letter later, he tends to get forgetful at times so you may have to poke him in the gut a few times to get his mind working. If he actually read that last bit I must congratulate myself a little since I have been trying to donate him some of my sense of humor for years now. Now Harry, this really important so I want you to listen very carefully. Try to forget about your troubles for at least a little while and have some fun. Take at least one night to completely degrade yourself. Get drunk and try to act your age for once instead of an old man and for Merlin's sakes get laid." Harry's eyes went wide at those words as his face went bright red. Beside him Tonks look to be in much the same condition while Dung, the twins, Bill and even Snape howled with laughter. Though he had not been told of what had happened Remus started laughing himself as he quickly figured it out after looking between the two as their complexion quickly resembled that of a blood blister. Harry and Tonks kept their heads down but they could both feel the confused and shocked gazes that were being directed towards them. Seeing the uncomfortable situation the two were in Bullgluk quickly proceeded and luck would have it that it was something that drew everyone's attention elsewhere for the time being at least.

Normally I probably would have saved this for last but I feel if I don't get it over with I'll never do it. To Severus Snape, I leave the pride of my grandfather's collection, _Dark Potions for a Dark World._" Snape let out a strangled cough when he heard this and Dumbledore was unfortunate enough to be sucking on a lemon drop at the time and nearly choked. After everyone began calming down Harry thought about it for a moment.

"Didn't we already steal that book?" Harry whispered to Tonks who giggled lightly for a moment before nodding in confirmation though she did not look at him. Despite the fact that though they already had the book in their possession, the fact that Sirius had wanted him to have such a valuable, not to mention illegal, book shocked and confused Snape a great deal. After all any serious collector of potion manuscripts would kill for the opportunity to just gaze upon the cover.

"I leave you this book as a peace offering of sorts. We both know that we are to set in our ways to ever actively try to end the hatred between us so in death I hope to do what I could not do in life." Everything was silent for several minutes as everyone thought about what had just been said. It was no surprise to see many tear streaked faces at the table but they had to keep going.

To my bestest buddy Remi I leave five hundred thousand galleons and ask him to look after Harry a bit. I don't know if any of you noticed but the boy has a tendency to attract an awful lot of trouble on a fairly routine basis. There is also a trunk in the attic of my family's home that has a lot of our junk left over from school, I only ask that you share the treasures inside with Harry and those Weasley twins. And you have a letter as well.

To my dear second cousin Nymphadora, finally I can use the name without getting hexed, since you are one of the only relatives I have that I can stand, Andromeda is nice enough but she wouldn't know a good joke if it was sitting on her face. Anyway, I leave you ten million galleons and the family villa in southern France. I doubt your mother will be able to attend this reading so inform her that she also gets a million galleons under the condition that she purchases a sense of humor.

Let's see, who's next, ah Albus. I leave you the current headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix…"

"Damn, I was going to burn that house to the ground." Harry muttered to himself but everyone at the table managed to hear him.

"After Harry kills old snake face I want the house and everything in it destroyed…" Harry immediately perked up and made a happy sound as he quietly clapped his hands together. Snape looked at him in annoyance before he shook his head in self pity. Tonks snorted slightly and was trying to hide her smile despite the fact that she was a bit uncomfortable with Harry beside her. Remus, Fred and George didn't bother to hide their amusement and everyone else looked at Harry in disapproval.

"Mundungus, you have always taken an interest in many of the Black family heirlooms lying about that filthy house so they are all yours."

"Already stole them Sirius but thanks all the same." Dung replied. Harry smiled as he remembered Bill telling him that Dung was still collecting a few 'odds and ends' when they raided Order headquarters. Most of the Order members looked at those Raiders present with stern looks but they didn't seem to care much. Over the next half hour Bullgluk continued to read off Sirius' wishes. To McGonagall he had left a book that detailed the pranks and punishments that came during his sixth year where he set school records for most points lost and most time in detention. Both records still stand. He felt that it was only right that she get this book considering she took the vast majority of those points from him and assigned most of the detentions.

The Weasleys were each left two thousand galleons as a thank you for watching over Harry as best they could when he had no one to turn to. The twins were also left another book. _The Marauder's Guide to Mischief. _A copy would also be given to both Harry and Remus. Hermione was also left two thousand galleons as well as a fair piece of the Black family Library. Obviously he thought Moody was growing increasingly paranoid in his old age since he left him a trunk full of advanced dark detectors and other such devices. Thankfully the reading was soon over and Bullgluk hand both Harry and Remus an envelope that was presumably the letters that had been mentioned in the will.

"Lord Black." Harry vaguely heard Bullgluk call but he didn't bother to look up to see who he was talking to. His attention was solely on the envelope in his hands and what could be written inside. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain as Tonks elbowed him in the ribs to get his attention. When he looked at her she pointed to the front of the room where everyone was looking at him expectantly.

"Lord Black, there are a few documents you must sign to legally take possession of your inheritance."

"Lord Black?" Harry asked, looking as confused as ever.

"Yes, since the Black and Potter family assets are to remain separate from each other the titles that come with being the head of the Families must remain separate as well. When conducting business in the interests of the Black family accounts you are to use the title of Lord Black." Bullgluk explained in an amused manner. Harry quickly decided that an amused goblin was actually kind of scary.

"Great, I've got almost as many titles as Dumbledore and I'm only a tenth his age." He muttered darkly to himself as he took the papers that were passed down to him. Without bothering to read them over, he quickly signed them before standing up and making his way to the door. "Sorry I don't stick around to chat but…" He explained weakly as he held up the envelope that Sirius had left him. Not only did he want to read the letter immediately but he also didn't want to be anywhere most of these people when they inevitably begin asking questions concerning their reactions when Bullgluk read the comment concerning 'getting laid.'

Not giving anyone a chance to object to his hasty departure, he quickly walked through the door and activated his portkey to take him home, it would probably not be a very good idea to let the goblins know that he could portkey in and out of their bank at will. With a thump he landed on his backside in the middle of the entrance hall. Not wanting to speak to anyone at the moment he pulled himself to his feet he quietly made it to the stairs without being noticed by those in the sitting room. As he climbed the stairs he began putting more details together on the plan he began thinking about after his confrontation with Lucius. Luckily he was able to get to his room without incident and he quickly noticed that the house elves had cleaned it up and repaired any damage from last night's 'activities'.

Sitting on the end of his bed he quickly tore open the envelope but was deeply puzzled when he unfolded the parchment only to find that it was completely blank. With his brow drawn tight in confusion he began to get really angry at the apparent joke before a sudden thought came to him. Taking out his wand he tapped the parchment.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Almost immediately a spidery script began to form across the page.

'_Hello Harry! Would you care to tell your dear friend Padfoot how I died?'_

"Holy shit!" Harry shouted as he nearly dropped the parchment.

TBC

**I'm not really happy with the way the Will reading turned out but that was the best I could come up with. The next chapter will explain the parchment and as well as go into detail of what Harry has planned for Lucius as well as Voldemort. There will only be about three more chapters in this story that will take it to the end of the summer. The sequel will obviously pick up from there and go through to the beginning of next summer. Whether or not Harry will return to Hogwarts for his sixth year I haven't decided yet. **

**If you have any questions concerning this chapter or the story in general send me an e-mail and I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible.**


	20. Parchments and Plans

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Twenty: Parchments and Plans**

_"Hello Harry, care to tell your dear friend Padfoot how I died?"_

"_Holy shit!" Harry shouted as he nearly dropped the parchment on the floor._

Naturally the first thing that popped into Harry's head was the memory of Tom Riddle's diary. He seriously doubted that Sirius would do something similar but there was always the chance that maybe someone else had created this and was able to put it in place of the letter Sirius had left for him. Taking a quick glance back at the parchment in his hands he noticed more words had formed.

'_If you're worried about the magical nature of this particular parchment, I assure you it is quite safe but if you need proof of where it came from feel free to ask the Weasley twins. They helped me create them after they fled from Hogwarts during your fifth year.'_ Without skipping a beat Harry jumped to his feet with the parchment clutched in his hand and ran to the fire where he pulled a small ceramic jar off of the mantle. He cast a hand full of floo powder into the flames before shouting out 'the Burrow'. He had to wait only a brief moment before Molly Weasley's head came into view.

"Oh, Harry! We were so worried when you left so suddenly." Harry could clearly hear the concern in her voice and see it on her face but he had other things to think about at the moment.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley but I can't talk right now, are the twins there?" He asked in a rushed tone.

"No dear, they went back to that store of theirs right after the reading ended." She replied disapprovingly but everyone could easily see that she was proud that her sons were doing well. Without so much as a goodbye the connection was broken with a wave of Harry's wand. Within moments the flames where roaring once again and he found himself looking into what appeared to be a storeroom. Realization suddenly dawned on him that he had yet to visit the store and he decided that he really should go take a look at the store when he had the time. It didn't really set a good example when one of the owners wouldn't even go in. he couldn't see very much but the noise that was coming through was almost as deafening as the Quiditch World Cup.

"FRED, GEORGE!" He shouted loudly when he saw no on the other end. Within moments however the two appeared and the identical grins on their faces left no doubt that they knew why he called. "What is this?" He asked simply as he held up the parchment.

"That, Harry, is the work of three certifiable geniuses." They answered together. Suddenly a loud crash sounded, drawing the twin's attention. "Just walk it off Ginny, you'll be fine." Fred shouted before looking back to Harry. "This place is like a madhouse. We manages to talk Mum into letting Ginny work here for a few days a week but I don't think she has the ability to control the crowd. From open to close it's…"

"The parchment Fred!" Harry interrupted. He of course was greatly interested in the success of the business but at the moment he had other things on his mind.

"Oh, right." Fred replied before looking as if he were trying to remember something. George on the other hand noticed that Harry was in no mood for games and quickly explained.

"It works much like the Marauders Map except it holds a lot more information, like a magical portrait. We were thinking of doing a portrait but we didn't have the time or the artistic talents necessary to do credit to old Padfoot's noble jaw line."

"Enough with the jokes. Just give me a straight answer." Harry growled and the twins quickly got the message.

""Like George said, we didn't have the time or expertise to make a portrait but then we remembered the diary from ickle Gin-Gin's first year. We figured that if You-Know-Who could store a piece of his soul in a book why couldn't we store an imprint of Padfoot's mind on a piece of parchment instead of in a portrait. You can talk to it instead of writing everything you want to say but unfortunately we couldn't figure out how to make it talk back so I hope you know how to read. Unfortunately however we weren't able to make the charms permanent. It could last a long time if you only activate it for brief periods of time every once and a while but it only has enough power to remain active for a total of seven hours. That time is the same if it is run continuously or spread out over time so be sure to turn it off when you are done at any time and only use it when you have something specific to talk about." Thinking quickly Harry tapped the parchment once again with his wand and whispered '_mischief managed'_ and watched it go blank once again.

"I'm sure you know enough about magical portraits to understand that they hold all the knowledge and memories of the person they were created for, up until the time it was created but it is also capable of taking in new information as well. The parchment does the same thing. Needless to say, you will probably have to explain how he died. Sirius was worried about the possibility of getting killed without being able to tell you certain things, so this is what we came up with. It was very time consuming but didn't take nearly as long as him writing a book or something of everything he wanted to say to you or Remus. The two parchments are connected in a similar fashion to matching portraits so anything you or Remus tells your parchment the other will know as well. As we said, it is the work of three certifiable geniuses." Fred finished happily but a few more crashes pulled their attention away. Harry could see their eyes go wide before they both ran off.

"Thanks." Harry responded stupidly before breaking the connection. Harry just sat on the floor beside the fire for some time before he even looked at the parchment in his hand again. This was certainly nothing like he had expected when he opened that envelope. Reading a letter from Sirius was one thing but this… He just wasn't sure he was ready to basically talk to him knowing that he had a time limit. Shaking his head firmly, he stood up and walked over to his dresser and placed the parchment in the top drawer. No, he was definitely not ready for that. To get his mind on other things he decided to work out in the gym while thinking over his latest idea. This was one that was going to take a lot of planning and preparation so it was better to get the basic concept worked out and inform everyone as soon as possible to work out all of the minor details that will be so crucial.

MMM

Tonks had been sitting up in her room for several hours now thinking over everything that had happened that day. While the death of her cousin and the reading of his Will that morning weighed heavily on her mind the majority of her focus was on Harry. She just couldn't believe that she had been stupid enough to allow something like that to happen. She was six years older than him and he wasn't even out of school yet for Merlin's sake. She tried her best to push the memories that had been coming back to her more and more to the back of her head. She tried and failed to simply ignore the annoying voice that kept whispering to her, encouraging her to try it again sober so that she could tell if it was as good as she remembered it. That was something she certainly didn't need to think about.

For every argument that she thought of for her actions the night before being wrong that damned voice was quick to answer back with arguments to the contrary. One of her biggest fears was that the others in the house would think she was some kind of a slut and she would be forced to ward off their advances. However that fear was shot down when she was reminded of the fact that everyone there knew that she didn't have much of a social life since most men were either turned off by her clumsiness or they were only interested in her because of her metamorphmagus abilities. She may not be the best at Legillimency but she could detect someone's intentions if they didn't guard their minds. These men usually didn't walk away unscathed. She had little to no patience for men that simply saw her as a very talented sex toy.

The issue that caused her the biggest discomfort about the whole situation however was the age difference. When you get older differences in age don't really matter very much. In this situation however it meant a great deal. He was, after all, still a minor. Well at least until tomorrow. However that little voice contradicted her on this as well, claiming that though legally he was only a minor, in terms of experience and maturity he was probably older than Snape. In the end she decided that she couldn't come to any real conclusions by herself so she worked up the courage to go talk to Harry since they couldn't very well be worrying about something like this. The Order was divided at the moment and unable to function as it should because of a difference of opinion and all though their situation was entirely different it could have similar consequences and that was just not acceptable.

It took her a while to find him but she finally located him in the gym. At the moment he was the only one there so she hoped that they could just jump right into the heart of the matter and get it done with. He was currently doing some bench presses but the look on his face clearly told her that he was in deep thought. As she got closer she couldn't help but notice how the almost constant work outs and dueling practice had done his body a world of good. He was by no means a body builder but the tight lean muscles on his upper arms and chest spoke of a great deal of speed and flexibility as well as strength.

She shook her head forcefully to get the sight of his sweaty chest out of her mind but when she opened her eyes again they once again sought him out. This time however she noticed more than just his muscles, she noticed the numerous scars on his torso and face, even some on his arms. Remembering how he received them was a forceful reminder that though he would only be sixteen tomorrow he was by no means a child. How many children, or adults for that matter, would bring such injuries upon themselves to save others from them? Their time in captivity was without a doubt the worst time in her life and only Harry and his actions prevented it from going much farther before they would eventually have been killed. No, he was definitely not a child.

She was pulled out of her own musings when she heard the barbell slam into its resting place and saw Harry sit up with a very wide grin on his face. He used his shirt to wipe the sweat off of his body before looking up and seeing Tonks. She was curious, even a little jealous, when he was able to push the sudden look of embarrassment away as if it were somehow insignificant. 'How does he do that?' She asked herself as she prayed that she was hiding hers at least as well.

"Care for a trip to Hogwarts?" He asked her suddenly and she quickly became very suspicious about what he had planned. Seeing the look on her face he was quick to explain. "No I don't plan to steal anything or kidnap anybody, today anyway. I've just got an idea that I'm actually going to have to run by Dumbledore and a few others before I try." This immediately peaked Tonks' curiosity since Harry had usually been adamant about leaving Dumbledore in the dark until after the fact so the fact that he was planning on informing him before hand indicated that this was probably going to be pretty big, and dangerous.

MMM

Three hours later Dumbledore's office was packed nearly to capacity. Every member of the Raiders were present with their battlerobes charmed once again but also present was Remus, McGonagall, Moody, Geoffrey Stevens, Amelia Bones, James and Lily were both wearing hoods as they stood beside their son Jacob and surprisingly Griphook was also present. When everyone had arrived they all stood looking at Harry expectantly.

"The Chamber!" He said simply to Dumbledore and the old man nodded before he asked everyone to follow him. As they walked out the door behind the old man each of them gave Harry confused, even suspicious looks as he followed along behind them. The trip to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom was a relatively short one but the absolute silence made it seem like an eternity. They each walked through the door and those that did not know of the Chamber of Secrets began muttering to themselves about loony old men and insane teenagers. Harry was the last to enter and looked at Dumbledore in confusion.

"Why haven't you opened it yet? Standing around in a bathroom is all well and good when your trying to hide from Filch but not when it's this crowded."

"I can't open it Harry." He replied simply with a soft chuckle.

"And why not?"

"You haven't changed the password yet." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. When Harry just looked at him blankly he continued. "If you remember, you changed the password when you were doing research down there on the day you were captured. You came to my office to show me your findings and then went straight to Diagon Ally. You have sense not had the time to change it back."

"How did you get those books for me then? And why didn't you say something during the times I did come here over the last month?"

"Fawkes retrieved the books for me and in regards to your other visits here, I seriously doubt you would have had the time for such a simple chore while you were raiding my library."

"Oh, so you finally noticed that. I would have thought you would have mentioned something by now. The Hogwarts library was easy enough but your personal library was something different. Now that was a challenge." Harry knew perfectly well he was referring to the main library but couldn't resist letting the man know they had made it into his own library as well. Apparently he hadn't noticed yet so they were getting more out of his books than he was so no worries. Comprehension seemed to dawn on the old man's face and with a strangled gasp he ran out of the bathroom and nearly flew back to his office.

"I thought for sure he would have noticed before now." Snape muttered with a frown as he passed Dung twenty galleons. The Raiders all found the situation rather funny however the others with a few exceptions did not.

"Well he can meet us down there after he's finished sulking." Harry said with a grin as he approached the entrance. _"Open up!"_ He hissed and those not associated with the Order jumped back in shock as the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets opened wide before them. Taking out his phoenix feather wand he pointed at the portal. _"Portus Afermea, Open up." _He hissed out.Everyone stared as the whole area glowed in a soft blue light before it slowly faded and waited for Harry to begin again. "Portus Afermea, Raiders sacked Hogwarts." Harry said with a grin causing a few chuckles to go around the room as well as a few glares before he whispered a final world that only Moody could make out.

"Wasn't that just a little bit juvenile Mr. Potter? The Headmaster will simply change the password later on." McGonagall stated as she looked at him sternly. The raised eyebrow Harry returned was too much for Moody who let out a loud barking laugh that caused everyone to jump in surprise.

"Minerva, I don't think he has to worry about that. If I'm not mistaken that last spell he cast was a nullification charm. No spell will work on that door unless it comes from that wand." Moody informed her with a wicked grin before he lowered himself into the chamber. The others began to follow but a few weren't looking too thrilled about the idea, namely Stevens, James and Lily.

"Where does that go?" Stevens asked in suspicion.

"The Chamber of Secrets. The weekend hideaway of Salazar Slytherin, everyone's favorite Hogwarts founder and humanitarian." Harry replied with more than just a little sarcasm. This revelation didn't make the three feel any better about the situation but Stevens was fought it off and followed after Remus who had been glaring at James and Lily since he found them in Dumbledore's office when he arrived. Jacob stepped forward to go next but James quickly pulled him back. Pulling away from his father Jacob looked at his parents with an emotion Harry could identify at the moment.

"Snap out of it. Everyone else has clearly been down there several times before so what are you so worried about. If Harry was going to do something to harm you he would have done it before now. He's had enough opportunities, and motives." He said simply and before either of his parents could stop him again he jumped through the opening behind Griphook. Harry looked after his brother for a moment before looking at his parents with an emotionless expression. Without a word or gesture Harry followed his brother in and then led him and Griphook through the tunnel since the others had gone on ahead. Griphook, being a goblin was at home in such tunnels but Jacob was unaccustomed to such surroundings. Harry wanted to say something to put the boy at ease but he honestly didn't know what to say.

"Why did you leave me all that money?" Jacob spoke up suddenly when he noticed that Griphook had somehow managed to get a distance head of them. Harry thought about just staying silent but he decided not to. He knew that he would probably never really want a close relationship with his parents but he really did want to get to know his siblings a bit and this was as good a place as any to start.

"Because despite what others may feel about me, I am not a cold blooded person. Though my innocence was announced this morning there are many people who still feel I should be thrown in prison for my actions against the Unspeakables and without a doubt some will demand my arrest for what I was forced to do last night. But those people don't know a damn thing about me, and they don't want to know. They just want to hide their heads in the sand and believe what they choose. When you and your family showed up I was faced with the harsh reality that my _parents _were nothing like I thought they were. Nothing like I was told they were. They are the same kind of people, they believe what they chose and no one can convince them that they are wrong. When they look at you everyone can clearly see the pride and the love they have for you. When they look at me all I see is regret and nothing more. Whether they regret their decision to leave me behind or the decision to return I don't know and I don't care. Despite the hardships and pain that I suffered because of their lack of judgment and foolishness I couldn't, as your father said 'throw you out on the streets.' If it had just been them I don't know what I would have done but given the fact that they had three children with them I couldn't leave them as paupers. I knew the last name that they had used but I never thought to ask if they had kept their first names or changed it to something else. So I did the easiest thing and left it in your name. You don't exactly strike me as the type to throw money around so I figured it was the best idea. " Jacob just stared at his brother for sometime. He wanted to defend his parents from Harry's views but he realized that he could never do that. While he could easily convince him that they are kind and loving people he could never change his feelings because he had suffered first hand because of their decisions.

While it was true that he and his younger brother and sister had led a mostly sheltered life they had always been loved and taken care of. Harry had none of that and probably wouldn't know how to accept it if he received it now from someone else. Pain and suffering had been one of the few constants in his life. Though he was not much younger than Harry he found his brother to be more mature and independent than many of the adults he had met since arriving in England. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a quiet hissing coming from beside him. He turned and saw Harry charming a second door in much the same way as he did in the bathroom.

"What is that hissing you do?" He asked after Harry had finished. Harry looked at him in confusion for amount before realizing that they boy had no idea why he was hissing.

"I'm a parselmouth. Do you know what that is?"

"No, can't say I do." He replied as he shook his head.

"A parselmouth is a person that can talk to snakes, in their own language. Salazar Slytherin, the wizard that built this chamber under the school was a parselmouth so the passwords on the doors were in this particular language before I changed them."

"Then why did you bother to change it back to the hissing before you were captured?" He asked curiously after the shock wore off.

"I was working on something that neither I nor the Headmaster wanted anyone to walk in on. I changed the passwords to keep any teachers or brain dead Order members from interfering."

"Oh, that was so not helpful." Jacob said with sarcasm and Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"Then you should learn to ask your questions a little better. You should specify whether you wanted to know why I changed the passwords or what I was working on that would merit changing the passwords. Always get right to the heart of the matter any time possible and waste time with subtlety only when its needed." By this time they had made it through the main chamber and had joined the others in their conference room. Harry found it terribly ironic that the same table that Slytherin and his followers used for meetings was now being used by those planning to kill his last remaining descendant. Just about everyone was seated and looked expectantly at Harry when he walked through the door. Harry took the chair closest to Tonks on impulse which was at the head of the table with her sitting to her right while Jacob sat down in the chair across from Tonks putting him at Harry's right.

With the exception of Harry, who had his hands crossed on the table and humming to himself, the room was virtually silent. That is until James and Lily ran in, both a little winded and looked around quickly. Though their hoods were up they could all see their attention stop on Jacob before they took seats further down the table as they tried to catch their breath, Neither Harry or Remus acknowledge their presence. Not long afterwards Dumbledore arrived and he sent a stern glance over to Harry.

"I expect those books back as soon as possible Harry!"

"What, its not like you don't have them all memorized." Harry defended himself while there were several chuckles coming from down the table. "And the books we took from the Restricted Section should never have been in a school to begin with. Detailing very dark and evil magic. We were merely doing a public service to protect the children of Great Britain. With all those pages it would be a damn shame if they were to get a paper cut."

"Harry, as you well know, those books are there for students doing advanced studies." McGonagall put in as everyone, even Albus, seemed amused by Harry's answer.

"Come on, do you even know what books we took? That material shouldn't be seen by anyone twice their age much less a student."

"Then why do you have them?" Remus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Um, advanced studies!" Harry answered hopefully.

"Could we get on with this, I have better things to do, like collecting Flubberworm pus." Snape said sarcastically while he glared at the hooded form of James Potter.

"Oh, am I boring you smartass?" Harry drawled before immediately jumping to the point of the meeting without giving Snape a chance to reply. "The reason for this meeting is simple. With our recent activities most of the lower level Death Eaters are now in prison awaiting trail and the vast majority of the inner circle are in hiding where we can't get them. Another problem is that we have no way of knowing what Voldemort will do since we don't have any spies among his closet followers and if someone did…" Harry said glancing at Dumbledore. "No useful information is coming out in time for us to do anything about it. My proposal is simple. We get another spy." Everyone looked at him dumbly for several moments before anyone spoke. They simply could not believe that Harry called a meeting like this to simply say that. A few however, like Moody, Tonks, Snape and even the three Potters were looking at Harry, waiting for him to spring whatever idea he had on them.

"Harry I assure you that we have another spy in the inner circle. Unfortunately or rather fortunately, the only thing of consequence that has happened recently has been the attack on Diagon Ally, which Minerva was informed about through our spy. It would seem for the moment that Voldemort is content to just sit and wait. Although with the support he has lost recently we can be fairly certain that he will begin recruiting as soon as possible."

"But there is still a problem with planting a spy within the Death Eaters. Voldemort trusts no one. Even his own inner circle are often kept in the dark. It appears that even when myself and my friends were captured Lucius Malfoy was the only member of the inner circle that was informed. And the only lower level Death Eaters that knew were all plants in the Department of Mysteries. So what we need is someone that can get close to our dear Dark Lord and get the information we need. We need someone that Voldemort will come to depend on, someone he won't see as just another sniveling coward that follows him because of a promise of power. Someone he can't intimidate. Someone he will be forced to see as an equal and most definitely see as a threat to his power later on." Harry finished with a grin as everyone looked at him as if he were insane. If someone were to go to Voldemort with such a goal in mind they would surely be killed for their attitude almost immediately but the way Harry said it made it almost seem possible, almost.

"That's a pretty hefty resume Harry. You obviously have someone in mind so who is it?" Tonks asked and Harry's smile only got wider as everyone stared.

"Me!" He said simply and every jaw in the room hit the table. He had to force himself not to fall on the floor laughing at the wide eyed looks he was getting. Almost at once everyone began shouting. As everyone tried to make their opinions heard Harry just sat down and began humming to himself once again. Tonks, who had actually remained seated, just stared at Harry with wide eyes. Almost as an afterthought Harry reached over and lifted her jaw to force her to close her mouth. That seemed to snap her out of it and she immediately looked away while trying to fight off her blush. Apparently getting tired of the excess noise, Dumbledore began shooting brightly colored sparks into the air. When this didn't work he actually shot the sparks in a pattern at the people around the table. This quickly got their attention as they jumped back to avoid getting singed.

"Now that we are all calm I think it would be best if we were to discuss this in a productive manner." He said in a stern tone that left no room for opposition. With a wave of his hand he motioned for everyone to retake their seats and they did so quickly. "Now Harry, I don't think I need to impress upon you the seriousness of the actions you are proposing."

"Potter, you would never be able to convince the Dark Lord that you were loyal to him. He would kill you the instant he saw you." Snape said curtly, as blunt and direct as ever.

"This is true, but he won't know its me. And I never said that I was going to pretend to be loyal to him. I said that he would need to see me as an equal, not a Death Eater. I will be an ally, and though you will probably not be in Voldemort's presence, the Raiders will be my fighting force."

"But, how do you plan to convince him that you are someone else?" Tonks asked worriedly.

"That is precisely why all of you are here. I'm sure many of you realize that I would not choose to have some of you present." He said while looking at his parents. "But the fact remains that the people at this table are the only ones that know about or have seen our battlerobes without the concealing charms on them or incases like Mr. Stevens and Madam Bones, I will also need a good deal of assistance form some of you as well. A number of other goblins have seen them as well but I am sure Griphook here can convince them to keep the information to themselves." Harry said while motioning to the goblin at the other end of the table.

"I can indeed Lord Potter." He said with a sharp toothed grin while Harry cringed slightly at the title.

"Please don't call me that."

"Would Lord Black be more to your liking?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"How about just Harry? Now, here is my plan, feel free to jump in at anytime if you feel I have overlooked something." For the next couple of hours Harry went into detail on how he planned to gain Voldemort's confidence and fielded numerous questions and number of weak points were pointed out as everyone gave their opinions. At the end of the day they had ironed out most of the details. Everyone wanted to tell Harry not to attempt this considering the initial meeting with Voldemort he will be alone but they couldn't find a legitimate argument against it. It was a very good plan so most people just kept their mouths shut and worried in silence.

MMM

For the next week and a half it was almost a constant schedule of training and working out. Harry would tell Voldemort that the Raiders are the strongest fighting force around so that is exactly what they would become. Harry's birthday passed almost without notice. Tonks, Bill and a few others bought him something but for the most part everyone's minds were on their training and the meeting that was sure to take place in a matter of days. Everyday Harry dueled a choreographed fight with Bill and everyday it was the same. By the time the week was out they both knew it move for move and curse for curse. Tonks did the same only her opponents were Dumbledore, Remus and Moody, a fight with three opponents but each one had to get every move memorized. Tonks was both irritated and immensely relieved by the workload since she didn't have time to talk with Harry about their 'situation' but she found it much easier to control her embarrassment around Harry with so much to do.

After the meeting in the Chamber of Secrets Jacob began to write periodically to Harry and would send the letter off with Fawkes when Dumbledore would send him to Potter Manor each night. Harry was very surprised when the first letter came but also happy that his brother wanted to get to know him. The letters they passed were most inconsequential information but it was a start.

Harry tried numerous times to activate the parchment he had received after Sirius' Will was read but each time he touched his wand to the page the words just wouldn't come out. He had a combined seven hours to 'talk' to him so he didn't want to waste it but neither did he want to simply put it away and forget about it. He just couldn't think of anything to say and, if he was honest with himself, he was a little afraid that Sirius wouldn't like the person he had become. Granted the parchment isn't Sirius but it is an imprint of his mind. It has all the same emotions, memories and feelings so this was as close as he was going to get and he didn't want to muck it up. He had just put the parchment away once again when Blaise entered his room with a black envelope in her hand.

"It's ready." Was all she said before she handed it to him and walked out the door. Harry could feel the dark magic just pushing out from the paper and it made him sick, but it was necessary to convince both Malfoy and Voldemort that they were serious. Since they had no idea how to contact Voldemort directly they had to go through someone else and Malfoy was the perfect candidate. The spells that Snape had placed on the parchment would ensure that no one but Voldemort could open it and it would also show him that they were well practiced in the dark arts.

MMM

Voldemort was sitting on his large black thrown underneath his father's house in Little Hangleton when Lucius Malfoy crawled on his hands and knees into the room to prostrate himself before his master. After the Ministry began arresting many of his Death Eaters the Dark Lord was in an almost constantly foul mood and took a great deal of pleasure in torturing any that came before him. As a result the Death Eaters began cowering in fear even if they saw him moving down a corridor in the opposite direction. This only served to infuriate him more. He had no use for weakness but this was all he had at the moment.

"Why have you contacted me Lucius? You are supposed to be working to free my servants, have you failed already?" He hissed in anger. Lucius began shaking uncontrollably but kept his face to the floor as he held up the envelope with both hands.

"This wa, wa, was delivered to mmmmy home this morning Mmy Lord. With instructions thhhat it be read only by you." The Dark Lord looked on in disgust as his servant stuttered like a fool but the moment he saw the envelope in his hands his curiosity was peaked. He could feel the dark magic coming off it in waves and he wondered who would have such intimate knowledge of such spells. Of his Death Eaters only Bellatrix Lestrange and the traitor Snape had both the knowledge and power to cast such spells. With a wave of his wand the black parchment was ripped from Malfoy's grasp and hovered in the air for a moment before it opened up. But instead of a letter a long series of hisses came out. Voldemort sat shocked for a moment before he was hanging on every 'word'.

_Lord Voldemort, my Master desires a meeting with you to discuss a possible compromise between you. You share a great many qualities that my Master holds in high regard. It has been many generations since he has led us into combat himself because he has found no cause that is worthy of his attention. However, he feels that now may be the time to lead us once more. If you are interested in what he has to offer then he will await your arrival at the ruins of Stonehenge at midnight this very day. You may bring two of your most loyal followers and two only. Any attempt at deception will result in 'unfortunate' consequences and your immediate death. These are my Master's terms and I advise you to honor them._

Voldemort sat there in absolute shock for several minutes. The first thing that struck him was that the message was a recording in Parseltongue and the only other with that ability that he knew of was Potter but that was clearly a female speaking. A female with a very aristocratic dialect. Then, after he got passed the thought of another parselmouth he began to thing about the message itself. Naturally he was infuriated by the condescending tone and the demands that were made of him. What type of man would dare to make threats against him. And Lucius paid dearly for that anger. His first impulse was to find the one responsible for this message and force a slow and painful death upon them. After working out his anger on Malfoy he began thinking about it in an almost rational way. Due to the incompetence of his followers he was severely lacking support and he could use any help he could get. But he was also needed information. He knew nothing of this woman's master or the power he controls. He may need support but he certainly didn't need to let a man that could try to overthrow him gain the upper hand in any negotiations that may come up. HE had to be the stronger, HE had to be the one in control.

A quick wave of his wand told him that it was already half an hour to midnight. After thinking quickly he decided that he would meet this mystery man and see what he has to say before he kills him. He couldn't, after all, allow someone to talk to him like that and live, it sets a bad example. With a wave of his wand he sent a summons to Bellatrix's dark mark and waited for her to arrive. He would certainly take her as she was his strongest. With a wave of his wand and a lengthy incantation all the tremors in Lucius' body stopped as the pain fled. It was only temporary and would come back ten fold but for the moment he needed his two most loyal looking strong and ready. Whoever this upstart was, he was not going to make a fool out of him because of Malfoy's weakness for pain.

After Bellatrix arrived the Dark Lord made a portkey out of the discarded envelope and without giving either of his followers any information the three vanished from his 'thrown room' with a pop.

TBC

**Alright this chapter was a lot of fun to right and I'm on a roll right now so the next chapter could be up tomorrow or the day after. Once again if you have any questions don't hesitate to send an e-mail.**


	21. Alliances Made

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Twenty One: Alliances Made**

When Voldemort, Malfoy and Lestrange appeared on the rolling plains of Salisbury with the large stone formation only twenty yards away, they could clearly see that they were not the first to arrive. As they cautiously moved forward they could see the glare of numerous torches burning from where they were hung on the surrounding stones. The closer they got the more nervous even Voldemort became, neither Lucius nor Bellatrix knew why they had come but the eerie surroundings and the unknown up ahead had them on edge. Finally, after they had moved passed the large stone in front of them they saw three figures standing in the exact center of the formation.

As they came into view Harry had to use all his will power to stop himself from whipping out his wand immediately and launching a full spread of killing curses at the small group. However the memory of what happened the last time Voldemort had been hit with that curse stilled his hand. He figured he would need to find something a little more permanent to be rid of the Dark Lord for good.

Neither Voldemort nor his two top Death Eaters could see anything of their faces due to the metallic looking shields of magical energy that were in place under their hoods. The charm was a gift from Geoffrey Stevens and the Department of Mysteries. They would prevent both visual identification as well as any attempt at Legillimency. The dark green battlerobes they wore, however, were most impressive. Impressive and familiar. Lucius was the first to put two and two together.

"Master, these are the men that captured your servants in Diagon Ally." He gasped stupidly and Harry, Snape and Tonks had to fight to keep from laughing at such an asinine statement. Harry however did chuckle darkly for a moment, drawing Voldemort's attention to him.

"So, you capture my Death Eaters and now you wish to join me. Why?" Voldemort asked forcefully and with a great deal of anger and suspicion. This brought another dark chuckle from Harry. When he spoke it was not his voice that was heard but one that was much deeper, a great deal older and certainly foreign.

"What I have done was to show myself and my followers in a good light to that pathetic institution you call a Ministry as well as the Headmaster of Hogwarts. But the primary reason for capturing your men was to get an idea of how powerful your forces are and I must say that I am very disappointed. If those _children_ are all the best you have to offer then it's a wonder you haven't been defeated yet." He explained as he continued to chuckle lightly to himself as if he thought the Death Eaters were nothing but a joke.

"Who are you to question the ability of my servants?" Voldemort fumed. Granted they were weak but he marked them as his own and he did have his pride. With this question the man before him merely looked back, unfazed by his anger.

"I'm the one who beat them. You may have come here for more than a simple meeting so let me make one thing perfectly clear, you do not have the power here or the control. Those rest in my hands and in my hands alone." He stated simply before moving on. "I have summoned you here because we have similar goals. And while I have never failed to achieve the goals I have set, you have known little more than failure. I am here to change that." Harry knew that he was pushing his luck with his attitude but he had to establish himself as something much greater than a common Death Eater. He watched as Voldemort fumed before him and Lucius and Bellatrix looked back and forth between the two with looks that clearly said that they thought he was completely insane for speaking to their master in such a fashion.

"You dare to speak to the Dark Lord in such a fashion?" Bellatrix hissed angrily. "He is the greatest wizard in the world." She shouted as if it were fact.

"And yet he is constantly being over matched by a child and an incompetent old man." Harry replied in an off hand manner. "I have spent a lifetime devoted to the study and practice of the Dark Arts but found early on that those that claim the same are little more than charlatans, playing at being powerful but they have no true ambition for the future."

"Your talk is all well and good, but if you are as good and as devoted as you claim then why have I not heard of you before?" Voldemort asked with a hiss as he tried to stare through Harry's concealment charms.

"As my assistant informed you in her message, it has been years since I have tied myself to any one cause. My followers are free to pursue their own ambitions when they don't conflict with my plans but as I said, it has been some time. At first I thought that maybe Grindlewald would be worthy of my support but that quickly faded. He was weak, ignorant and had no drive towards anything but self destruction. It was not conquest he was after, it was his own death and that is of no use to me.

You, however, show a great deal of promise. You have both a fair amount of power and your intelligent but you also a goal in mind. A foolish and ultimately impossible goal for sure, but you have something to aspire to. You, may be worthy of what I have to offer but time will tell if I have misjudged. As for never hearing of me, well that's fairly simple. You fashioned a knew name for yourself, one that the people would learn to fear. I chose another path. Instead of finding a new name and ignoring my true beginnings, I chose to wipe it out of existence entirely. I lead by example and my followers chose the same path. When no one knows who you are, when they don't even know you exist, only then are you free to act indiscriminately. You clearly hold a different opinion, so by all means share with rest of the group?" Harry finished sarcastically when he noticed the anger in the Dark Lord's eyes.

"FOOLISH? HOW CAN YOU CALL THE EXTERMINATION OF MUDBLOODS AND MUGGLES FOOLISH?" Voldemort raged and his anger only increased when he realized that the man across from him was not intimidated in the least.

"Let's start with the mudbloods and half bloods first. Why do you hate them?" He asked simply and in a casual tone.

"They are and inferior, they do nothing but pollute the pureblood lines and make them weak." Lucius nearly shouted in anger. Voldemort looked about ready to curse the man but he was interested in how Harry would respond. And he didn't have long to wait.

"They are inferior, and they are weak." Harry repeated as he began to walk back and forth in front of them like a predator ready to strike. "Such an argument is common in simply minded fools. Merlin is revered as the greatest and most powerful wizard of all time, and yet he was born from muggle parents. Albus Dumbledore is thought to be the most powerful in the world today, he is a muggleborn. Lily Potter, also a muggleborn, her last magical act was powerful enough to cast your master's spirit into exile for thirteen years. Harry Potter, regarded as half blood, his recent actions speak for themselves. And finally, Tom Riddle." He said with a great deal of satisfaction as he gazed at the now beat red face of his enemy. "Also a half blood. His escapades as Lord Voldemort also speak for themselves." Lucius went slightly pale at this and looked to his master in shock and Harry took the opportunity to get a close look at Bellatrix for the first time since their arrival. He was a little surprised to see that her look of shock at this revelation was obviously forced. She also didn't look nearly as insane as usual.

_"CRUCIO!" _Voldemort shouted in rage as he directed his wand at the man in front of him. Harry of course was expecting this as soon as he decided to mention Riddle's name so he was well prepared. With a whispered word and a casual flick of the wand he had concealed in the sleeve of his robes, Lucius was ripped from his place beside his master and thrown into the on coming spell. With a strangled cry and loud shrieking screams he collapsed in front of Harry. No one was all that surprised that Voldemort decided that Lucius was as good as any to take out his frustrations on but Harry was a little disappointed when it didn't last nearly as long as he thought. With his body shaking uncontrollably, Lucius crawled over to his master and began kissing the hem of his robes only to be met with a sharp kick to the face.

"Now that you got that out of your system can we continue? Or have you grown bored with this discussion?" Harry said in a very challenging way as he tapped the tip of his phoenix feather wand against the side of his leg. Voldemort merely glared back as his pointed teeth gleamed in the moonlight while his breathing was fast and heavy. Everyone was fairly surprised that his body didn't implode by the sheer force of his rage. After several very tense minutes had passed Harry was convinced that Voldemort wouldn't try anything else, at least not yet.

"Your ego and your lack of self control make you weak. Unfortunately that is something you will never be able to change. Most people, such as that worthless lump at your feet and that crazed bitch at your side, can afford such weaknesses. Men like us cannot. Dumbledore will not wait for you to be in complete control of your actions before he strikes. But that is a threat that will soon be eliminated."

"You speak of Dumbledore as if he were just an ordinary man!" Bellatrix sneered at him, almost daring him to contradict her.

"Albus Dumbledore's knowledge and power are nowhere near the levels he believes them to be. I have many in my service that are more than a match for him." The two Death Eaters looked shocked that he would make such a claim but Voldemort looked pensive.

"So, you and your men are willing to join my Death Eaters?" He asked with a shrewd look in his eyes. He didn't really think that is what the man intended but he could not allow his Death Eaters to see him recognize another as he equal. He was infuriated, but not surprised, when he was answered with a loud bellowing laugh.

"The men and women that follow me were more carefully chosen than the Disciples of Christ. They serve no one but me, and I serve no one. I offer only this, a certain level of cooperation between you and I."

"To consider your proposition carefully I will need more information. Like how many fighters you can send when they are needed." Voldemort asked in an attempt to find out how powerful the man was, militarily speaking. He wasn't really expecting a direct answer so he was more than surprised when he got exactly that as well as shocked by the answer.

"At any one time I can place fifteen fighters in the field." He replied in an off hand manner as if it were more than the Dark Lord deserved. Voldemort stared at him for several moments for the audacity.

"You come to me and demand cooperation and that is all the support you can muster?" He laughed sadistically. He clearly overestimated the man and his capabilities.

"We may share certain characteristics and similar goals but we are not the same. You will accept any into your ranks as long as they crawl around on their knees and praise you with every look. You brand them like cattle and call them Death Eaters. The vast majority of your Death Eaters rank no higher than a Hogwarts graduate. That is the extent of their knowledge and skill. I, however, only accept the strongest, the most skilled and the most intelligent. My fifteen warriors could easily decimate your entire force." Once again Voldemort wanted to contradict such a claim but he decided that he would have to see this 'skill' before he would even entertain the idea. So he chose to simply get back to the business at hand.

"You claim you wish to offer aid but what do you want in return?"

"All in time. This is my proposition. The most highly skilled fighters within your Ministry of Magic are the top secret agents that are employed by the Department of Mysteries. There are only twenty seven at any one time and when one is killed they simply bring up another. They were the bane of Grindlewald's existence as they were yours during your first fight for power. To prevent such an occurrence from happening again my men will kill every last one of them. One they can replace fairly easily but to lose them all at once will be a crippling blow. As my men are taking care of these agents, this lovely young lady to my right will put Dumbledore down for good while I will take care of young Mr. Potter myself." As Harry spoke even Voldemort couldn't hide his shock at what he was so casually suggesting. The way he said made it seem like there was no way his men could fail such a daunting task. His last statement however pulled the Dark Lord out of his stupor.

"I will take care of Potter myself!" He shouted firmly.

"And yet each time you have tried, you have failed, beaten by a child." Harry sneered and watched as Voldemort's pale face turned red with anger.

"HOW DARE YOU!" He shouted as he grabbed his wand once again. Harry, Tonks and Snape didn't flinch a muscle but each was prepared to activate their portkeys should the situation escalate even further. "I could kill you here and now." He hissed out as he pointed his wand directly at Harry's heart.

"You would fail." Harry replied as he stared back calmly. Voldemort stood stiffly with his wand held tightly for several moments before, much to the shock of Bellatrix and even to Snape and Tonks, he lowered his arm with a furious growl. The carefree manner in which the man spoke to him and carried himself spoke loudly that this man was not someone to be trifled with or to be underestimated. If he could, however, be broken and bent to his will, he could be the most powerful of his servants.

"Each time you have faced Harry Potter he has either escaped your grasp or you were forced to flee. Your fear of this boy has made you a liability where combating him directly is concerned."

"I FEAR NO MAN!" He shouted in rage as he hopped up and down in anger.

"I beg to differ. The thing you fear most is death. And in Harry Potter, you see your potential destruction." He chuckled as Voldemort shot a surprised look at him. His amusement clearly showed that he knew 'certain' information.

"How do you…" He hissed but was quickly cut off.

"When I begin making plans I cover every eventuality. And I always find what I am looking for. Dumbledore and his pathetic Order may have been able to hide the contents of that prophecy from you and even from Potter. But the sloppy work of your followers insured the recording devices destruction. The true nature of that prophecy now exists in only two places. In Dumbledore's mind and my own. Suffice to say that I know WHY you fear him, and well you should. Your fear gives the boy a certain level of power over you. A power you do not share for unlike most of the world, he does not fear you.

With every breath that boy breathes he is mocking you. His very existence is a living example of your failure. With every day that passes and every fight he survives your fear grows stronger and his power tightens around your heart. He must die immediately and that is something you are not strong enough to accomplish. Only after his death will you truly be powerful. Only then will you be worthy of my unwavering support and the vast knowledge and power I have to offer." Harry finished in a fierce and terrifying voice. Silence reigned for nearly twenty minutes as Voldemort fought to control his natural instincts, which were to kill Harry and his two companions where they stood.

The whole time Bellatrix looked on in absolute shock at what she was witnessing. Harry glanced at her for a brief moment and caught her looking at him in terror. Despite himself, he was greatly confused by this reaction. Clearly Harry was holding himself as if he were the stronger and more confidant of the two but if he was offering assistance to her master why would she react in such a way. He had no doubt that she was frightened of him, that much was obvious. But she looked to be nearing total panic. No, he thought to himself again, she doesn't look anywhere near as insane as before. Finally after a lengthy argument with himself, which Harry didn't bother to pay attention to, Voldemort was able to exert enough semblance of control over himself to continue in at least a coherent fashion.

"Very well, but to make sure you are not attempting to deceive me, some of my strongest followers will accompany your men as they set about their various tasks."

"I will agree to your terms under one condition. They are only to observe. The men and women that serve me are the strongest fighters in the magical world, they do not need the aggravation of amateurs blundering about and ruining their plans." The cold voice that Harry used made it clear that he would not waver in his decision but pride once more forced Voldemort to defend the abilities of his Death Eaters, though he was much more diplomatic this time.

"I assure you that the members of my inner circle are among the best this country has to offer."

"And yet they were defeated by a few school children just over a month ago." Harry chuckled darkly as he mocked the thought of any Death Eater being worth much in a fight. "From what I have witnessed I can clearly see that your Death Eaters can serve no purpose greater than being cannon fodder. So I advise you to inform your men that they are to simply watch, the consequences of interference will be immediate death." He finished in a cold tone that revealed nothing but the fact that he was completely serious.

"We will be ready to attack in five days time. I will send word to you through this pathetic creature here." He said while motioning to Malfoy who was still cowering in fear and pain. "You will be informed of where your Death Eaters can meet my men before they leave. So, until we meet again." Harry, Tonks and Snape activated their portkeys and the moment they vanished Voldemort turned his anger and frustration onto his two followers. But no amount of torture would vanish the shocking memory of their Master being so effectively intimidated by another.

MMM

When they arrived back at Potter Manor Dumbledore, McGonagall and the rest of the Raiders were waiting for them in the entrance hall. Harry let the shivers that he had suppressed throughout the meeting work themselves out before he took the shielding charm off and lowered his hood. What he said to Voldemort was true, he didn't fear him. All he felt every time he heard the Dark Lord's name or saw is face was hatred and revulsion. He let out an explosive breath before he silently walked into the sitting room and sank into the nearest chair. Tonks had much the same idea and took the chair across from him and they both just sat there with her eyes closed. Most of the people present had followed them in and waited to hear what had happened. Snape however went unnoticed up the stairs with McGonagall and Blaise.

"How did it go Harry?" Dumbledore asked carefully. Harry sat in silence for several minutes without moving until he cracked open his eyes to look at the people around him. Before he spoke however he waved his wand at his throat to remove the charm he had in place to change his voice.

"It went just as planned. Better in fact." He sighed before looking down at his hands as he ran his fingers over his wand. His thoughts were racing over every possible outcome of their meeting and what he may or may not have been able to do.

"Harry, I understand how you must feel, but what you have done…" Albus began in a comforting tone but stopped when Harry looked back up and interrupted him.

"No, I don't think you understand at all. I just had possibly the only three people on earth that I truly hate standing in front of me, talking to me. I wanted nothing more than to see them in as much pain as possible before I finally killed them. But the simple fact that remains is that I don't know HOW to kill Voldemort. That son of a bitch is so twisted that even the killing curse won't work properly. I know that I can beat him, I just don't know how to finish him." Harry seethed. Most of what he said he was unaware that he had spoke the words out loud. Although he was a little surprised at his fury Albus looked as calm as ever.

"In time we will find away to make sure that he is defeated for good. But at the moment you are in the best position to gain the information we need to prevent other attacks as well as find where the other Death Eaters are hiding. I know that they have hurt you a great deal but if you are to be successful you must not let your emotions control you." He told Harry wisely. However Harry just looked at the man as if he were crazy.

"Do you really know so little about me?" Harry laughed with a little amusement. "If I were to hold a grudge against those that hurt me I would deserve a sentence in Azkaban. If I were to make suffer those that had hurt me I would surely have killed the Dursleys by now, my parents would have never left this house alive. I would have taken my rage out on Snape and even you. But you should know by now that if someone comes after me, then so be it. But god help you if you come after the ones I care about.

Bellatrix and Lucius were the key reasons my friends suffered so many injuries when we went to the Ministry last year and that Lestrange bitch killed Sirius. For that she will die. Lucius and his little brat Draco were the two primary Death Eaters that tortured myself, Tonks, Snape and Blaise. Now while I was able to prevent the two girls from being cursed to much, they were still severely injured and under a lot of pain. For that, Draco is already dead and his father will follow soon enough.

Voldemort, however, was the reason behind all of it. Because of him countless people have died and suffered, including many of my friends. For that I will not rest until he is dead and his ashes are scattered to the wind. NOTHING I have done has ever been for my own sense of vengeance as you so casually suggest. I suffered enough at the hands of the Dursleys for years before I came to Hogwarts that pain became a way of life. It's almost the only life I know, but seeing my friends in pain is entirely unacceptable." Harry quickly stopped himself and took several deep calming breaths. Not for the first time he began wondering why he seemed so predisposed to going off on rants like that lately. For the most part of his life he had kept all his feelings and emotions to himself but lately as the stress has been increasing he has found it harder to keep a lid on such thoughts. Who knows, maybe it was better for him to get things like that out into the open instead of holding such things in. without another word Harry just turned around and headed out of the room, intending to simply go to bed and stay there for as long as possible.

Tonks sat there and listened to every word that Harry said with wide eyes and a slack jaw. She, as well as everyone else, was more surprised at his sudden 'openness' than Harry himself. Most people had a tendency for letting their feelings be known but Harry was certainly not one of those people, usually. She knew that he held a great deal of anger and had many problems with his friends during the last school year as a result so maybe it was a good thing that he wasn't internalizing everything as his nature usually forced him to do. She nearly rolled her eyes and sighed as Dumbledore suggested that Harry's motivation was to simply hurt the ones that had hurt him. She had been around Harry enough to know him better than that and she had known him only a fraction of the time Albus had.

The words he said forever banished her rather halfhearted arguments that he was a boy. True he was only sixteen but he was certainly a man. This realization helped in a way to relieve some of the guilt she felt about their drunken activities more than a week before. It certainly didn't by any means with help any of the embarrassment she felt but it was a start. When Harry got up and left the room she felt that if she was ever going to get to talk to Harry about this it would be now. After all, his attention was on something else right now so hopefully she could say what she needed and leave before he had time to process the information. She stood up and quickly followed him, much to the amusement, and relief of everyone present. Dumbledore looked after the two and was a bit confused by everyone's reaction. Suddenly he remembered the reading of Sirius' Will, specifically his words to Harry.

'Take one night to completely degrade yourself. Get drunk and try to act your age for once instead of an old man. And for Merlin's sake, get laid.' Dumbledore as well as everyone else noticed both Harry's and Tonks' embarrassment when Bullgluk read those words but his attention was pulled away and he never really thought about the reasons for such embarrassment until now. He was shocked at the implications for a few moments before he suddenly began laughing much to the confusion of everyone around him.

"I think they will be good for each other." He said simply as he looked at everyone with a smile. They looked momentarily surprised at his apparent acceptance of the situation. The smile on his face quickly faded however as he thought of something else. At first he looked to be in deep thought but that quickly faded to be replaced with realization and even denial. "It can't be!" He muttered to himself. Without another word the old man swiftly left the room to head back to Hogwarts with everyone else watching him go with looks that clearly showed that they thought he was crazy.

MMM

Tonks silently entered Harry's room after knocking several times failed to gain his attention. The room was nearly dark with the only light coming from the fire burning in the fireplace as Harry sat silently staring into the flames. She stood there for several moments and watched him as she fought with herself on whether or not she should interrupt him. With her mind made up she was prepared to simply turn around and postpone their talk once again when the choice was seemingly taken out of her hands.

"You might as well stay." Harry said quietly but his sudden words made Tonks jump slightly. "We have both been avoiding this for long enough, don't you think?" He continued as he looked over to her with a tired smile. Though it was both terrifying and amusing for her to be in the presence of Voldemort as Harry goaded him she didn't realize until that moment how heavy a toll it took on Harry emotionally. She gasped slightly as she saw the pain and weariness reflected in his vibrant green eyes that now looked somewhat dull. Slowly at first, she walked over and took a chair next to him before the fire. Neither seemed to be all that thrilled at the idea of speaking first so they remained in silence.

"How is your training with Albus, Moody and Remus going?" Harry asked quietly after nearly an hour. Tonks was surprised and relieved at the sudden break in the silence and the random question.

"It's going well. It was difficult the first couple of days but I haven't tripped at all in three days and I think all four of us could fight this duel in our sleep by now. How's yours?"

"Fine. Bill and I have all the moves and curses memorized. I plan to try it blindfolded at some point in the next few days just to see how I would fare." After another, though shorter, period of silence Harry finally decided to get to the heart of the matter. "Do you regret it?" He asked simply. At first Tonks wanted to just play confused but she figured it wouldn't be very productive. She thought about it for several minutes but couldn't come up with a definitive answer.

"I don't really know." She answered honestly. "It's not exactly the type of thing I make a habit of doing." She continued defensively causing Harry to chuckle for a moment. "I just find it ironic that you, um we, had a drunken fling and the next morning Sirius' Will tells you to do exactly that."

"Yeah, well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't really do that much either. In fact that was the first time I've done anything remotely close." He was a bit surprised that he wasn't the least bit self conscious about admitting that he had never been with a woman before. Tonks however was surprised.

"Never?" She asked in shock. Harry smiled slightly and just shook his head. "I would have thought that with you being the Boy-Who-Lived the girls would have been throwing themselves at you on a regular basis." Harry grimaced slightly at the nickname.

"Not really. I learned real early on how to tell who was simply interested in me because of my name and I have no use for people like that. Without my name all I am is some scrawny kid that has above average talent. Not exactly the type of person most people would waste their time getting to know."

"Please Harry, I've seen you working out, your not exactly scrawny." Tonks responded with a sly grin. As much as he tried to fight it he couldn't stop from blushing slightly. "Though I can sympathize with you there. Most men are only interested in me because I can change my appearance. To be perfectly honest I would never have been selected for Auror training if I wasn't a metamorphmagus. I'm just someone that can easily disguise myself. That's all I've ever been to them, to anyone." She continued a little bitterly.

"God, and I thought I was hard on myself." Harry said in surprise. Tonks always appeared to be happy and full of life but right now she sounded like, like, well himself.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked him angrily. He was taken aback by her sudden anger and thought about simply keeping his mouth shut in case he said something to seriously piss her off but decided against it. Though he did keep his escape options in mind. After all he didn't have much experience when it came to calming down females.

"Tonks, I don't know anything about your time in the Aurors or even much about your time in the Order. Whether or not they only saw you as a potential spy or something, I have no idea but in your time here have I or anyone else ever asked you to change?" He asked seriously. She looked upset at first but when he asked his question she suddenly deflated. "I didn't think so. You may be a metamorphmagus but your also a hell of a fighter and you've got a great personality. Your fun to be around, your intelligent and your pretty damn cute. Don't shortchange yourself by assuming nobody else knows what you have to offer." Harry looked back up and was surprised to see tears in her eyes. He didn't have long to ponder this however as she launched herself out of her chair. Startled by the sudden movement, Harry quickly stood up only to have Tonks slam into him and wrap her arms around him. Nearly losing his balance, he had to reach behind him and grasp his chair to steady himself as she buried her face into his shoulder.

Despite himself he didn't seem to be nearly as uncomfortable with the current situation as he usually would but not really sure how he should react it took him several moments before he gently returned the embrace. As they stood there it didn't take much thought to figure out why she was so upset. Being a metamorphmagus couldn't be easy for anyone but if everyone knew, as they did with Tonks, it must be much harder. Harry could certainly imagine what it must have been like when she was in school. Girls jealous of her ability and guys seeing her as a shape-shifting sex toy. He clearly remembered Ron and even a few Order members making several comments about it last summer. And he imagined it probably wasn't much better when she graduated and went to work at the Ministry.

After a few minutes she calmed down some but neither really made any attempt to move until Harry looked up at the clock above the fire and saw how late it was. Considering they both had to get up fairly early for training he took a step back.

"Come on, we should get some sleep. We can finish this conversation another time." He said quietly as he led her to the door that connected their rooms. She simply nodded in agreement as she walked with him across the room. He had just opened the door for her when she suddenly turned to face and kicked the door closed again before crushing her lips to his. This time Harry was unable to keep his balance and he fell to the floor with Tonks landing on top of him. He was so shocked by her actions that he neither noticed the fall or the stinging pain that resulted from his head's connection with the floor. Soon, however, his hormones overcame his shock and he was quick to give in to her actions. Not having much memory of the last night they spent together, his only comparison was kissing Cho. He immediately decided that this was infinitely more appealing and certainly more fun.

MMM

After returning to Hogwarts Albus ran every step of the way to his office. The gargoyle standing guard obviously had some semblance of intelligence, or caution, as it leapt aside for the powerful old wizard to charge by. Paying no heed to Remus and Moody, who apparently were waiting to hear how Harry's meeting went, he removed his wand and with a flick of his wrist the bookshelf on the left hand wall slid aside to reveal a fair sized room with books covering every inch of the wall. Ignoring the recently discovered empty spaces along the shelves he went immediately to the far wall and grabbed a thick book entitled, _'Legends and Myths of Hogwarts'._

He took the book to his desk before opening the top drawer and removing a piece of parchment. On it was a copy of the prophecy Blaise had found in the Chamber of Secrets. Quickly scanning the page he soon found the passage he was looking for.

_'Through life he shall be hardened, through pain he shall be molded and with the love and the aid of the Brides he shall emerge victorious.'_ After reading that line over several times he snatched up the book and began flipping through the pages. In it contained nearly every little known fact and belief about the school. Unfortunately the author was a bit indiscriminate about what material he used so the vast majority was simply made up of rumors, probably started by older students trying to scare or impress the younger. His eyes briefly stopped on the section dedicated to the Chamber of Secrets but he got his mind on track once more and in no time he found what he was looking for.

**_'The Brides of Hogwarts'_**

Albus read every word several times over and each time his eyes went wider and his face seemed to grow a little paler. The entry was only a page and a half long but it contained nearly every element of the two prophecies that were so central to their fight. While it could simply be a coincidence he didn't really hold out much hope. With a sigh he lowered his head and began banging it into the hard wood of his desk. Remus and Moody were worried, confused and a little amused by Albus' actions.

"Err, Albus." Remus interrupted quietly.

"What?" He asked in a whining tone as he raised his head again. Only then did he realize who was there. "Oh, forgive me, what can I do for you?"

"Um, how did the meeting go?" He asked in an uncertain voice as if he were afraid of the answer given the Headmaster's current mood.

"From what I'm told it went better than expected. I apologize but I need some time alone with my thoughts." Remus and Moody exchanged worried glances but rose and left the office without any more questions. Albus sat at his desk for some time thinking over this new information and the possible consequences it could bring. While he could certainly see the advantage in it, it was certainly unorthodox. He allowed himself a brief chuckle for the poor soul that was going to have to explain this one to Harry before he suddenly stopped with a realization. _He _was the only one that knew. _He _was going to have to tell Harry. He sagged back into his chair and covered his eyes with his hand as one word escaped his lips. "Shit."

TBC

Before anyone says it, I know the scene with Harry and Tonks sucks. I have no talent what so ever with emotional touchy feely things so give me a break. Now, to answer some questions I have been getting.

Harry's three siblings are named Jacob; he will be fourteen in September. Rose and Benjamin are five.

Harry just turned sixteen, not seventeen. It takes place after his fifth year. This story was begun long before the sixth book came out so I will incorporate little to nothing from that book. All you that hoped for Tonks to be paired with Remus, sorry, I like her with Harry better. He acts much older than he is and she acts younger than she is. They balance each other out.

Also, in most countries around the world sixteen is the age of consent and sixteen year olds are often seen as adults. Whether or not this is the case in England, I don't know but I'm proceeding under the assumption that it is. However, in the wizarding world you don't reach your majority until age seventeen. But, as was explained in chapter 13 the goblins were kind enough to expedite the process and get him emancipated.

For all those that were disgusted with the thought, or hoping for that matter, Harry will not have a sexual relationship with all four girls.

No I will not write a _scene_ with Snape and McGonagall. That's just creepy, which is probably why I put them together come to think of it.

Since she arrived at Potter Manor Marietta has yet to leave her room. She has either been terrified that Harry was going to kill her, and then in mourning for her parents. She will finally make an appearance in the next chapter.

James, Lily and Jacob already know about Harry's life at the Dursleys as well as his Hogwarts years. Dumbledore told them after he gave them Veritaserum. Harry was also kind enough to give his mother several of his worst memories with his loving relatives when she tried to enter his mind with Legillimency in chapter 17.

No, the Raiders did not take every book in the library. They just took quite a few out of the restricted section, as well as several from Dumbledore's private library, which you see a small part of in this chapter.

No, Harry's brothers and sister will not leave James and Lily to live with him. Though Jacob might begin visiting him on a regular basis.

That's all the questions I can remember for right now but I'll try to answer any others as I get them. Thank you for reading and all that good stuff. Ta ta.


	22. The Approaching Storm

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Twenty Two: The Approaching Storm**

Despite going to sleep at a very late hour, Harry woke just an hour or so after dawn. He was only momentarily surprised by nude body he had in his embrace before his mind woke up enough to process the information. After going though the memories of the night before in precise detail a wide smile split across his face as he leaned his head in to breath in the sweet perfume of Tonks' hair. His left arm was draped over her and held her back tightly to his chest while his fingers absentmindedly circled patterns across the flat of her stomach. He was by no means an expert on such matters but he could certainly get used to waking up like this. As much as he wanted to just lie there all morning he knew that they couldn't afford to skip their training simply because this was more comfortable.

He was preparing to gently wake Tonks before he decided against it just yet. Instead he slowly moved back away from her and got out of bed without disturbing her before he set about getting ready for the day. To be perfectly honest, Harry had no idea how he felt about the matter but he didn't want Tonks to feel embarrassed if he had woken her up while they were still both nude. This way he could wake her and leave her in peace to get ready as she sees fit. After taking a quick shower and putting on his workout cloths he returned to his room just in time to see the door to Tonks' room shut. Though he gave no outward appearance he was actually a bit relieved that she had woken up on her own. As an afterthought, he reached into his closet and took out his battlerobes before heading downstairs for breakfast.

When he entered the small casual dinning room he was not at all surprised to see that most of the household was apparently still in bed however he was a bit surprised to see that sitting next to Susan, who was always the first one up, was Marietta. The two were speaking quietly together but even from his position in the doorway he could tell that she was still a bit emotionally withdrawn. Since he had brought her to the house after the attack on Diagon Ally she had pretty much stayed confined to her room even during meals. The loss of her parents was obviously a very hard blow but Harry was pleased that she was at least attempting to move forward.

"Good morning." He said quietly as he stepped fully into the room and approached the table. Both girls jumped slightly at the new voice but Susan calmed down almost immediately. Marietta however still looked at Harry with a little bit of fear. Shaking his head slightly with a sigh he took a seat on the other side of the table and draped his battlerobes over the back of the chair next to him.

"Why do you have your battlerobes?" Susan asked curiously as she looked between him and the robes in confusion.

"I figured today I would see how much of this duel I truly have memorized. But I'm certainly not going to open myself up to getting hurt just to satisfy my curiosity." He replied with a small grin. That certainly didn't answer her question and Marietta seemed to share her confusion. "So what have you two been talking about?"

"Nothing much really, since she's going to be staying with us I've just been telling Marietta a little bit of what goes on around here."

"How much have you told her so far?" He asked just as a steaming cup of coffee appeared on the table in front of him. "Ah." He sighed happily as he breathed in rich aroma. Susan suppressed a giggle while her friend merely looked at Harry as if he were crazy. From what she had witnessed, both at school and after the battle in Diagon Ally, as well as what Susan had just finished telling her, she would swear that he had at least a dozen personalities taking up residence inside his head.

"I haven't told her all that much really. After the Ministry announced your innocents a simpleton could figure out what you were doing here so all I really told her was our connection with Dumbledore's Order and a few details about some of the raids. I figured it would be best to leave you to explain what has been happening since she's been here since she hasn't really talked to anyone or read the newspaper."

"Alright," He sighed as he set his cup down. "Know that you have no obligation whatsoever to help us in any way if you choose you want to leave after all. If you leave your memory will be erased of everything you have learned here." He knew she eavesdropped on his conversation with Dumbledore and Stevens but he didn't know if she heard the whole conversation so he went ahead and began there, explaining that they kidnapped the department head and why and what came from it. Needless to say she was shocked that so many Death Eaters were able to get into the ranks of the Unspeakables and Minister Fudge's involvement.

"Needless to say, they were able to get the names of a great many other Death Eaters and as a result they have all either been captured or are in hiding. At the moment both Madam Bones and Mr. Stevens have almost unlimited authority to go after confirmed or suspected Voldemort supporters while most of the other department heads are jockeying for the position of Minister of Magic. Unfortunately when a new Minister is finally chosen they will probably attempt reign in the Aurors and Unspeakables as a show of power, to show them that he, or she, is the boss.

Despite all the work that is getting done however, a great many Death Eaters are still in hiding, including most of the inner circle. We either have no idea where they are or we have no way to get to them. Dumbledore has a spy within Voldemort's inner circle but he isn't getting any good information, or if he is, he isn't sharing it with us." He then explained their plan in detail and needless to say she was both shocked and horrified. Any thought she might have had to the contrary was now thrown out the window. Harry Potter was completely INSANE! However despite these feelings her little Ravenclaw mind zeroed in on the one thing that could make their plan fall apart.

"The attack on the Unspeakables and even on Dumbledore I can understand. But your whole plan will mean nothing if you escape unharmed. You're supposed to be the 'master' and most powerful of your group and yet you are going to 'attempt' to kill yourself. You're gambling everything on You-Know-Who's actions." She nearly screamed in exasperation and confusion as Harry just chuckled.

"Old Tommy Boy is nothing if not predictable. Believe me, this is something he WILL do." He answered with a smirk just as Tonks, Snape and Blaise entered the room. Though a bit hesitant at first Tonks took the seat at Harry's right hand side and offered him a slight smile which he returned a bit shyly much to everyone's amusement and Marietta's confusion, confusion that suddenly turned to realization as she looked at the two with wide eyes before she noticed just who walked in with the former Auror.

"Professor Snape." She greeted nervously. The three newcomers looked at the girl in surprise for a moment before Snape 'reluctantly' returned the greeting just as Twinkle walked in with many steaming dishes trailing behind her. With a snap of her fingers the place settings appeared on the table as the food took its place in the center.

"Don't worry, he's really not as bad as the greasy bastard he pretends to be." Susan whispered to Marietta. Blaise, who was sitting on the young Hufflepuff's other side coughed violently into the glass of orange juice she had just lifted to her lips as her father glared across the table at Susan who didn't seem the least bit affected by the look. Harry and Tonks didn't see or hear a thing as they kept stealing glances at each other, that is until the smell of the food reached their noses. Harry looked at the food spread out before them with a wide grin as he rubbed his hands together. Unfortunately just as he was reaching for the bacon a pair of strong hands lifted him out of his chair.

"WHAT THE HELL?" He yelled as he looked over his shoulder to see Bill pulling him towards the door. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Its 8:00 Harry, time for training." Bill relied without relinquishing his grip.

"8:00, time for Breakfast." Harry corrected as he tried to stretch back towards the table. Although he had grown quite a bit over the last several months Bill was still about two inches taller than him and had a great deal more muscle mass so he made very little progress moving back towards the food.

"Breakfast can wait! If you get yourself killed because you slacked off, my mother would never let me hear the end of it." Harry just grunted before turning back to his captor and jabbing his thumb into the side of his neck. Bill let out a sharp hiss as he let go of Harry's arm in favor of the pain shooting through his neck. His sudden release caused Harry to fall but he managed to catch himself before he fell on his face. Jumping back to his feet he ducked under Bill's arm and ran back to the table. In the interest of saving time he merely grabbed a fork and the whole serving dish full of eggs after he slung his battlerobes over his shoulder. Looking back to see Bill approaching with an annoyed look on his face he hurried around the table and ran out the door with the most mild mannered of the Weasley boys stalking after him.

Everyone sat in silence as they stared out the door for several seconds before everyone turned their attention back to the food as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Marietta looked around the table at those present and realized that this was, more likely than not, ordinary behavior around here.

"I've never seen Weasley annoyed before." Snape mused out loud with a smirk. "I'd imagine that Potter is in for a rough morning."

"What do you mean?" Tonks asked and it was clear that she wasn't the only one puzzled by the man's statement.

"Think about it. Until now both Weasley and Potter have been restricting the amount of power they have been pouring into their spells. I would not be surprised if he were to teach Potter a bit of a lesson here." His words were met with silence as everyone thought about it. Then, as if they all came to the same conclusion, they all stood up and walked out the door, heading towards the gym. Twinkle watched them all go before shaking her head and casting a warming charm over the table to keep the food fresh.

MMM

McGonagall was sitting in her office early that morning going over lesson plans for the younger members of the Order. It was her day to instruct them and she would be introducing transfiguration into their dueling lessons. While anyone could learn to incorporate the two skills a great wizard or witch could decide the outcome of whole battles with such a technique, such as Albus. The last few weeks had been hard on all of the children, especially Ron and Hermione. They had both taken the news of Harry's innocents pretty hard considering they were his best friends and yet they stood against him. When the news was announced to the Order shortly after the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries were questioned she specifically sought those two out to see their reactions. She was not at all surprised to see little more than guilt and a resigned sense of loss on the face of Ronald Weasley. Neither she nor Dumbledore ever really thought he truly believed his friend to be guilty, he just followed Hermione's lead. He probably felt that he had lost his best friend and he didn't want to lose his girlfriend as well.

Hermione on the other hand was different. She looked as if someone had told her that everything written in _'Hogwarts: A History'_ was nothing more than the nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind. She didn't see guilt or remorse in her eyes, all she saw was denial. Like a test question she got wrong she tried to think of any other possibilities that would have made her conclusions at least partly accurate. After being confronted by several outraged Order members she finally dropped her demands of reopening the investigation. If anything good came out of the whole situation it was that Hermione no longer seemed to get any pleasure out of letting everyone know how intelligent she was, or thought she was. She simply did her work as best she could, answered the questions that were asked of her and only asked questions that were relevant to the specific topic. Though she had always been one of her favorite students, you can only stand a know-it-all for so long.

The other students, Ginny, Neville and Luna specifically, had enough moral character to simply let the two be, instead of rubbing it in their faces that they were wrong. No doubt Hermione would not have felt that same restraint had she been right.

As a whole the students were progressing at an incredible rate in every field they were being trained in. the fact that they had so many skilled instructors for such a small group no doubt helped in that regard. No one, with the exception of a few of the students that didn't know him well, was all that surprised when Neville emerged as the top fighter among them. The almost constant fear that he showed every time he was called upon to perform in front of the class throughout his school years seemed to be a distant memory. His grandmother had visited him several times and marveled at his progress and it was now almost expected that she would break down and cry as she praised him and made comparisons to his father, and act that was sure to get Neville a little watery eyed as he remembered many members of his family making comments that he wasn't even a shadow of Frank Longbottom.

As he promised when they were first brought to Hogwarts at the beginning of the summer Albus had paired each of the students with an older member of the Order and were assigned specific tasks. Much to his delight Neville was paired with Moody and when Neville himself wasn't training the two were training other Order members that would be a part of their specific team should they enter a fight.

Not that surprisingly both Hermione and Luna were paired with Remus for doing various research for the Order while Ron worked with Albus for strategy. Though many pitied her, Ginny was happy to be paired with Aberforth to head another combat team. Unlike the more uptight members of the Order she greatly enjoyed Aberforth's company, probably because she was used to the twins. Hannah Abbott was sent up to the Hospital wing to learn from Madam Pomfrey while Allen Samuels, a Slytherin student worked with Arthur Weasley gathering intelligence. Everyone was confused with this pairing since Mr. Weasley's job at the Ministry didn't offer him much in the way of information. The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office wasn't very respected. But everyone supposed Dumbledore knew what he was doing so he must have put the two together for some reason.

The clock on McGonagall's desk chimed at 8:00, pulling her out of her musings and reminded her that she had students that she had to get to. She quickly straightened up her papers and stood up from her desk just as someone quickly burst through the door and slammed it shut. Her head shot up just in time to see a cloaked figure cast several locking and privacy wards on the door.

McGonagall quickly raised her wand and demanded that the person reveal themselves. However when the object of her attention turned to face her all she could see was their eyes, and that was all that was needed. With a strangled gasp of shock she quickly lowered her wand.

"What are you doing here? Do you realize what could happen if someone were to see you?" She whispered fiercely but the woman didn't appear to listen to her. Walking forward she removed a small pensieve from the folds of her robe before depositing it on McGonagall's desk.

"Look!" The woman ordered as she removed the lid off of the small stone basin. McGonagall looked at her stupidly for several moments before she waved her wand over the pensieve and six small figures rose out of the top with the familiar stone structure of Stonehenge around them. What she was looking at was a great deal like a muggle hologram only a lot more lifelike. She watched and listened to every word in shock as her unnamed 'guest' paced around the room in agitation. She of course was well aware of Harry's plan as well as their belief that the meeting went well but seeing it for herself was quite a shock. She had no idea that Harry was capable of sounding so cruel and merciless. By the time the memory was over McGonagall's face was completely white which was a good thing to an extent since she couldn't let this woman know that the meeting was really a set up. Spy or not it was best that this remain unspoken.

"You must show that to Dumbledore immediately." The woman hissed urgently. McGonagall nodded numbly for a moment before thinking of something.

"Where did this memory come from?"

"What? Oh, I extracted it from Lucius while he was recovering from the Dark Lord's 'temper tantrum'. After that meeting the Dark Lord called his entire inner circle together and told us all that he may be getting some powerful allies and that we were to witness their show of faith. All we know about the attack is that all three are to be simultaneous and happen in at least five days. We will be told exactly when they will take place and where to go just before they begin so I won't be ale to get a message out.

"I'll take this to Albus right away, you should probably get back before anyone notices that you are gone." McGonagall said as she began to regain her composure. If she felt like this even knowing that that was Harry she couldn't even imagine what this woman, or even what Voldemort must be feeling. After having the woman remove her charms from the door McGonagall stepped out into the corridor and looked around. Seeing no one in the vicinity she quickly waved the woman out. Without even looking about she simply rushed out of the office and crossed the hall to disappear into a secret passage hidden behind a tapestry illustrating the burning of Rome.

"I didn't know that was there." McGonagall mused to herself before heading to the Headmaster's office with the pensieve clutched in her hands.

MMM

"Are you done yet?" Bill asked impatiently as Harry stood in the corner with his eggs. As a reply Harry held up one finger as he seemed to concentrate. Suddenly he let out a loud belch with enough base to sink a small boat. A look of contentment passed over his face as he sighed before putting his bowl and fork down. "Finally."

"I think I'm entitled to a little breakfast before I get thrown around, don't you? Call it a dying man's last request if it makes you feel better." Harry said as he started to pull on his battlerobes. "I don't plan on getting killed." He explained after seeing his opponent's confusion. This answer didn't seem to help any but when Harry removed the scarf from around his head and brought the tip of his wand up to the side of his right eye everyone seemed to realize how serious Harry was taking this. Not knowing the significance, Marietta looked on in confusion until a few whispered words later his right eye was pulled from his eye socket. With a scream of fright she jumped back and crashed into Snape without ever taking her eyes off Harry. The boy looked at her in confusion before he realized what she just saw.

"Oh, sorry to scare you like that. Courtesy of right honorable Lucius Malfoy." He said with sarcasm as he waved to the right side of his face. "Alister Moody was kind enough to part with one of his magical eyes that he hadn't used in years. It's come in pretty damn useful to." He explained as he placed the eye in a small box that he had removed from his pants pocket. "Here, hold onto that." He said as he tossed the box to Snape.

"Harry, just what do you think you're doing?" Bill asked him with a very stern expression.

"I'm going to see just how much I have memorized." Without another word he folded his scarf a few times length wise before tying it back around his head, this time covering both his left eye and his right, err, eye socket. "Don't go easy on me Bill, do it exactly like we practiced." He said out loud while in his mind he was thinking that this was a really bad idea, which was pretty much what everyone else was thinking as well.

"Great, I'm going to beat up a blind Harry Potter." Bill muttered to himself before he cast his first curse. Normally he would cast every curse silently but he figured he could at least let Harry know that he was starting. As that first curse came at him Harry brought his wand around in a wide arch as he said the words _'Astium Tebius'. _A dome of golden light formed around Harry within milliseconds and the curse that was a dark sickly green color smashed into it with a loud clang. At this point Harry began to move swiftly to his right as he threw curse after curse at Bill. Those that were watching had to jump out of his way to prevent him from running into them. Amazingly every curse that he threw would have hit its mark had Bill not been able to shield against them or deflect them. He did not let up but as he went more and more curses were missing the target but Bill still went through the motions of guarding against them anyway just to keep with the repetitive nature of their practice. After a few moments of easily countering every curse Harry used, Bill went on the offensive.

Everyone watching was amazed as they watched Harry dodge and counter spells that he couldn't even see coming. Granted he knew what was coming and when but he was still blindfolded. He looked like he could go all day long, that is until Bill once again cast that same sickly green spell he used to begin the duel, this time silently. As before Harry's wand traveled in a wide arch before his golden shield was formed but unlike the beginning of the duel this time it failed. Bill's curse smashed through the shield as if it weren't even there before closing the distance to Harry and slamming into his stomach. Thankfully his battlerobes absorbed most of the blow but he was still thrown back nearly ten feet before he landed with an unforgiving thud. Dung and several others had joined them just as Tonks and Blaise appeared to be moving towards Harry to make sure he was all right but they stopped in shock when Bill didn't let up. Everyone knew what they were practicing for but until now no one had actually taken the time to watch the two train together.

For the next five minutes Harry was thrown around the room as he was blasted with curse after curse. The entire time Bill never moved from his starting position and despite the number of curses and counter curses he had used he stood as erect and strong as ever. Which was good considering he was supposed to be the stronger and more powerful of the two in this fight. After what seemed like an eternity the curses stopped and Bill just stood there in a relaxed position as he surveyed Harry curiously and without emotion. Everyone looked between the two as Harry lay wheezing on the ground as he fought to get back up. His wand lay discarded against the wall twenty feet away and with his sluggish movements he had no hope of reaching it in time should Bill choose to continue his assault. After several failed attempts Harry managed to get back on to his knees but he was swaying slightly from side to side with his head bowed to the floor in weariness and it was clear that there was not much fight left in him.

Bill took a few moments to look at his opponent before he stepped closer to him and raised his wand once again. Tonks was about to start screaming for the oldest Weasley child to stop when Harry's right hand shot into the left sleeve of his robes and quickly reemerged with his basilisk fang wand clutched tightly in his fingers. Without an incantation a bright blue curse was fired and Bill, whose eyes had gone wide in surprise, was caught full in the chest. Those watching could only guess that Harry had hit him with a banishing charm as the older man went flying across the room. Luck would have it that he didn't collide with the far wall but he only just missed it. He gasped loudly as he landed on his back and the air was pushed out of his lungs before he groaned as rolling over and used the wall to help pull him to his feet.

"Since when did you start hitting _me_ with any spells?" He asked a bit surly after shaking his head a few times to remove some of the cobwebs. Everyone turned to look at Harry again only to find that he was now standing quite firmly on his feet while not looking nearly as beaten as he had before. Yes, he did look pretty ruff, but certainly not beaten.

"Since you started pouring that much power into those spells." He answered with a cheeky grin as he removed the scarf covering his good eye. "I figured that since you've been throwing me around for almost a week now I should at least get in one good hit. Besides, just be glad that it will be Voldemort instead of you next time and with him I don't plan on using a simple banishing charm." Harry said with a wicked grin that promised nothing but pain for the dearly loved snake faced bastard.

MMM

"Well I would certainly have to agree with young Harry, that did appear to go much better than he had planned." Albus muttered to himself after viewing the memory in the pensieve. Like McGonagall he was deeply shocked and a little troubled at how cold and callous Harry appeared but he sure wasn't going to make the mistake of questioning his intentions again. Instead he just resigned himself to the fact that Harry could be a pretty good actor when the situation called for it.

"Albus, do you really think this is a 'wise' decision?" McGonagall asked nervously as she wrung her hands together. The Headmaster had been asking himself that very question at least a hundred times a day since Harry had informed him of his plans and yet he was still not able to come up with a definitive answer.

"I don't know." He admitted with a sigh. "I can certainly see the advantages but the risks may be too great. Voldemort is not a man that knows restraint. As you witnessed in that memory, several times Harry pushed him to the point where he was ready to kill despite what he was offering. He knows that he is not yet ready to defeat Voldemort and I fear that at some point Harry may push him too far." He finished in a distant voice as if his mind was preoccupied with something else. In fact he was actually thinking about Harry being pushed to far.

"Albus?" The Deputy Headmistress asked in a concerned voice as she took notice of the weariness on the man's face, more than likely due to the sleepless night he had had. Dumbledore didn't seem to notice the question as he gazed at the cover of the book on his desk. If accurate, the information in that book could change Harry's life forever, or destroy it. He had certainly learned his lesson about keeping important information from the boy but this was something different entirely. Taking a deep breath Albus was determined that he would have to bring this to Harry's attention soon but decided to wait until after his plan for Voldemort was set in motion. It would not do any good for Harry to be thinking of other things at such a crucial time.

MMM

The following four days seemed to pass in a blur for nearly everyone in Potter Manor. As the time of the attacks drew closer everyone was either eating, sleeping or training. Each day that passed both Harry and Bill steadily increased the power of their spells until they were fighting at nearly full strength. As a result it was not that uncommon for Harry to need medical attention from the house elf Beckle before he would return to the gym to begin again much to the elf's dismay.

Tonks' training lasted longer each day as she fought the same duel several times over before Moody would let any of them quit for the day. It was quite clear that Mad Eye agreed with Harry's decision and thought it was a well thought out plan. He had taken it upon himself to lead their training sessions and if you made a mistake or didn't give your full attention he would certainly make you pay for it. Not even Albus seemed to be immune from his command. Despite her weariness Tonks found it terribly amusing to see the old Auror ordering Dumbledore about like a student. He obviously didn't appreciate the older man trying to weasel out of a day of training by sending his brother in his place. Though they may look identical any fool could tell them apart and she suspected that Moody was probably insulted at such a weak attempt to deceive him.

After a day full day of dueling Harry and Tonks had little energy for anything other than sitting around and talking before finally turning in for the night. In just those few evenings they learned an awful lot about each other as they talked about anything and everything. Tonks was horrified as he told her of the extent of abuse and neglect that he suffered at the hands of his relatives but she was amazed and maybe even slightly concerned about how easily he seemed to brush it off. Due to her position in the Order she had already known about the incidents during his first four years at Hogwarts so anytime he talked about that she could see that he was just being modest in his accounts of the events and her respect for him grew.

Hearing Tonks talk about her life thus far deeply angered Harry in a vast sense of the word. Though he already suspected it he could barely control his rage at the way she was treated while a student at Hogwarts. Even as a first year she was shunned by those around her as a freak simply because she could change her appearance. As she got older however things only got worse as the other students in school saw the advantage of such a talent where relationships were concerned. The girls' rejection of her turned to jealousy while the boys' turned to lust. It was simply disgusting how much she was ridiculed and the rumors that were spread because of her abilities. He wasn't sure why or even how the subject was brought up but Harry even shared with her the contents of both prophecies. Having never really believed in divination, and much to Harry's amusement, Tonks tried to explain away some of the details that clearly fit Harry but after thinking it over for some time she reluctantly admitted that there 'could' be some legitimacy behind them. Harry was actually pleasantly surprised at her apparent indifference to the situation. One of his greatest fears was that his friends and others he cared about would try to distance themselves from him if they knew that he would have to either kill Voldemort or be killed by him.

Like Harry, Bill and Tonks, the rest of the Raiders spent the majority of their days training and studying just as hard. Despite having Harry's permission to raid the liquor cabinet everyone seemed to agree that now was not the time to waste even a single moment with their heads stuck in a bottle. As the minutes and hours ticked by and the days passed in a blur, everyone began to get increasingly nervous, and rightfully so. The most noticeable of the bunch, however, was Bill.

When Harry descended the stairs early in the morning on the day in question he was only minimally surprised to see Bill sitting alone in the nearly dark kitchen. All lights were off with the exception of two candles burning on the table and the light shined on Bill's face as he sat clutching his wand. Obviously Harry knew what was bothering the man and he couldn't really blame him. Bill was as brave a man as he had ever met but it wasn't easy for anyone to 'voluntarily' come face to face with a _man _that you had been conditioned to fear since you were a small child and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Like the other Raiders, Bill had seen what Voldemort looked like in a pensieve with the memory of Harry's meeting with him several days before but that is nothing like being near the man himself. Harry could certainly understand the man's apprehension but he also knew that Bill would not let his fear interfere with what he had to do. Quietly he moved fully into the kitchen and sat down on the opposite side of the table from the man but the two merely sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Over the next hour more and more of their group joined them but like Harry and Bill they didn't seem to have much to say. When the clock in the corner struck seven Snape pulled a black envelope from the inside of his robes and passed it to Harry. Those around him seemed to cringe back away from the parchment and no one could really blame them, the stench of foul magic was nearly overwhelming.

Taking the message with a look of disgust on his face Harry quietly called for Twinkle and asked her to have it delivered to Lucius Malfoy. The house elf nodded solemnly and used her magic to take the envelope from her master so she would not have to actually touch it. After Twinkle disappeared Harry heaved a heavy sigh of resignation. 'Well, no backing out now.' He had every confidence in the people around him and their abilities but it was still extremely possible that something could go wrong and then all of this will have been for nothing. He knew deep down that everything would go as planned but being a pessimist never really allowed much room for optimism.

TBC

**Alright I have to explain the comments at the end of the last chapter a bit since it didn't come out the way I intended. I said that Harry would NOT have a sexual relationship with all four girls. What a meant was that I would not write graphic sexual scenes with any one girl or all four. Like I said when I first decided to do this challenge, I will not make this story into a porno. It will keep its T rating with maybe an occasional M rated situation. Sorry for all of the confusion but sometimes I am not very good with words. **

**Just to let you know, there will not be another update until at least next week because I am going to spend the next several days going through and correcting all of the spelling and grammar mistakes in this story. Actually it is something I should have done a long time ago but I never really felt like taking the time to do it but since I am almost finished with this story I feel that I should certainly get it done.**

**Right now it looks as if there will only be three more chapters left. After that the sequel will pick up somewhere around the time Harry's sixth year should start. I'm still not sure whether or not he will actually return to Hogwarts as a student or not but hopefully I will have that figured out soon.**


	23. Ready, Set, Fight

**Authors Note: Just to let everyone know, despite the way they depicted Moody's 'eye' in the new Harry Potter movie, the eye that Harry has in this story does not look anything like that. It appears to be a real eye in every way with the obvious exception that he can use it to see through solid objects and various types of magical concealment. But unlike Moody's he can not use his to see out of the back of his head and such. He can only see at angles that are normal with proper eyes since Moody's is much more advanced. Just thought I should clear that up.**

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Twenty Three: Ready, Set, Fight**

The Dark Lord Voldemort stood inside his 'throne room' as he slowly walked around 'former' Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and his undersecretary Deloris Umbridge. Since his rebirth the two had had a mutual understanding in regards to their various enemies. Fudge was a man that was easily manipulated. A little gold here and removing a few outspoken critics was all it took to have the Minister bought and paid for. He also had an inflated opinion of his own self worth that Voldemort found laughable. While it was true that the man had made things run smoother for the Dark Lord he was by no means vital to his plans. He was rather weak magically and was not a capable leader nor was he particularly intelligent. Which probably explained why he was fool enough to seek him out once again.

"We've come looking for the protection you promised in the event that we were found out!" Fudge replied in a quiet and frightened voice when the Dark Lord questioned his presence. A loud snort from one of the Death Eaters surrounding the room caused the little coward nearly jump out of his skin but an evil glare from his master silenced the Death Eater though Voldemort himself also looked to find the situation just as humorous.

"You will find, Cornelius, that agreements between various organizations only last for as long as both parties are capable of upholding their own end of whatever deal they had between them. You are no longer in any position to be of any further use to me so I'm afraid that I must sever all ties between us. Kill him!" Voldemort chuckled as he looked at the witch at Fudge's side. A sudden movement beside him drew his attention but it was too late. The one thing that stood out in his mind the most as the green light of the Killing Curse closed the short distance was the shock he felt as he noticed that his Senior Undersecretary had been left with her wand while his was taken before they were brought to the Dark Lord's Headquarters.

Before Fudge's body even hit the floor Lucius Malfoy stormed into the room in a dead sprint and approached his master. The Dark Lord whirled around to face the man just as he was raising his wand, intent on teaching his servant the wisdom of manners but stopped suddenly when his red eyed gaze locked in on the black envelope that was clutched in the man's hands.

MMM

As the minutes ticked by every member of the Raiders had found their own place, whether it was within Harry's house or their own with their families, to be alone with their thoughts as the time for action drew closer. If everything went as planned only Harry would ever be in any real danger but even that thought did nothing to help everyone's mood in any significant way or maybe it was that particular thought that contributed to everyone's frayed nerves. Harry had worked hard to earn the respect of the men and women that fought with him and they are, no doubt, uncomfortable with him taking such a risk. Another detail that weighed heavily on everyone's mind was the 'warning' he had given Voldemort about killing any Death Eater that tried to interfere. For everything to go smoothly the Death Eaters had to be kept out of the fight and to be taken seriously they would have to make good on their promise even though the vast majority of them had never taken a life before.

It had been decided early on that everyone would participate in the day's 'festivities' but with Marietta now up and about they had to make a decision about what to do with her. Harry and just about everyone else wanted to simply tell her to sit this one out since she had only been training for a few days and she hadn't really had much time to familiarize herself with every detail of their plan. However Harry, and those that thought as he did, were silenced when Snape agreed with her and Susan on the matter, pointing out that it would certainly be better for her to get a bit of experience in a fight that was staged rather than one that would be deadly and unpredictable. Harry acknowledged his point with only a grunt. He had no problem with the older Ravenclaw helping out but since he had first come up with this idea he had planned it with an exact number of people in mind and Marietta's presence threw that off. Granted it probably wouldn't make much difference but you always want things to go as close to as planned as possible.

As an added precaution Harry would be wearing Snape's old battlerobes with the normal concealment charms instead of his own to prevent Voldemort from realizing that they were an exact copy of those of his new allies. Marietta had also been given the last of the basilisk skin robes and Harry intended for her to get a second wand as soon as possible. Harry decided that he would have to talk to Dumbledore after this was over about getting his hands on some more basilisk skin to make some more robes. No doubt it will be expensive as hell, if he could even find some, but it would clearly be well worth any price.

The robes he had borrowed from Snape were made out of the metallic gray scales of a Ukrainian Ironbelly. Though they were not as strong as those of a basilisk, the dragon's scales are stronger than that of any other breed. The style was similar to his own robes with four thick straps that buckled the front of the robe tightly across the chest and stomach before it flared just slightly below the waist where there was a slits up the front and the back to give his legs plenty of mobility without hindering him. The only difference between the two in overall appearance was that Snape's robes had no hood which he didn't mind since he wouldn't be needing it anyway.

"Harry?" His head shot up as he heard the soft voice that had entered his room. A small smile crept across his lips as he saw Tonks leaning into his doorway. His smile faded however when he saw the worry in her eyes as she looked at him. He could easily guess what thoughts occupied her mind at the moment. It was the same for everyone in the house. "Its time." Closing his eyes slightly, he nodded and stood up from the couch and joined her out in the hallway. Without another word said they silently moved through the hallway and down the stairs. After reaching the sitting room they needed to wait less than five minutes before everyone was gathered together and ready, though Bill did look a little pale.

"Calm down Bill, it won't be that bad. At the moment he needs us, and he knows it. He won't try anything while we are offering to kill his most powerful enemies." Harry whispered into the man's ear as he laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. Bill looked as if he wanted to contradict him but he couldn't seem to get the words out. Not wanting him to get worked up Harry backed away and turned back to everyone else. "Susan, Marietta, make sure you stay at Snape's side at all times, no excuses. Let's go, good luck." He finished and everyone began activating their portkeys. With the exception of Harry, Tonks, Bill, and John, everyone was taking one of two portkeys that would take two separate groups to different locations. Unspeakable safe houses.

"Guys, don't go getting yourselves killed." Harry said with a small grin before he pulled Tonks into a deep kiss. His action took the older woman be surprise but she quickly gave in and returned the kiss with just as much passion as Bill and John looked on with amusement. After several moments Harry backed away, much to Tonks' annoyance, as he tried to catch his breath. "You better get going." All three nodded solemnly before casting the charms on their hoods to conceal their identity and each hold of a piece of parchment.

"Be careful Harry." Tonks said in a worried tone before all three were whisked away. Harry let out a deep sigh and took a seat on the couch while he waited for his own portkey to activate.

MMM

Bill, Tonks and John landed hard outside of room number six above the Serpent's Lair Pub in Knockturn Alley. Looking back and forth they found no one else in the corridor with them so they simply entered the room without knocking. If they were surprised that they were not the first ones to arrive they certainly didn't show it but it took restraint to suppress the shivers that threatened to break out as they looked around at the room full of at least twenty Death Eaters. In the center of this gathering was Lord Voldemort himself. When the door closed behind them Bill turned to the Dark Lord and cocked his head slightly to the side as if he were looking for something.

"You're late." Old Snake Face growled with impatience but the three new arrivals didn't seem the least bit concerned.

"I said ten o'clock, it is just before ten now. I'm not late, you simply got here early." Bill replied in the same deep voice that Harry had used previously. The Death Eaters looked on in glee as they expected their master to draw his wand and teach these people a lesson for speaking to their better in such a way. But much to their shock and confusion Voldemort didn't even reach for his wand much less curse the man. That is all except Lestrange and Malfoy were surprised.

Both Tonks and John were standing just behind Bill's shoulders and made a show of being ready incase any Death Eater attempted to harm 'their' master. Bill for his part was standing in a relaxed position as he leaned slightly on one leg to hopefully make the height difference between Harry and himself harder to detect. He was very happy that Harry was able to both intimidate and intrigue Voldemort because as he took a quick glance around the room he knew for a fact that the odds of making an escape would definitely not be in their favor. Most of the men and women in this room he would be hard pressed to defeat one on one. He didn't know how many Death Eaters it would take to kill him and his two companions but he surely knew how many they would use if this situation were to go bad.

Around the room were twenty of the most powerful Death Eaters around including Bellatrix, her husband Rodolphus and his brother Rabastan. Lucius Malfoy, Nott, Dolohov and Avery. Even Narcissa Malfoy was present. Though he obviously didn't want to be there he figured it was best that Harry wasn't. Considering both Peter Pettigrew and Deloris Umbridge were standing at the back of the room he didn't think Harry would be able to control his rage if he saw the two of them.

"Well, where are your men attacking?" Voldemort asked, breaking the silence though he tried his best to make it sound polite. Bill turned his attention back to the Dark Lord and stood without a word for a few moments. Opening the front of his robes he withdrew three portkeys and tossed them onto the nearby bed.

"The book will take you to the general location of a safe house operated by the Unspeakables were they hold bi-weekly meetings. The blank sheet of parchment will take you to a clearing in the Forbidden Forest. Dumbledore likes to walk the grounds of Hogwarts at the same time every morning. He's as predictable as he is weak. And finally, the watch will take you outside the ruins of the Potter ancestral home in Godric's Hollow in Wales. I'm sure you're familiar with the area." Bill explained in a sneering tone. "To activate them merely say Acerbus Grim."

"Acerbus Grim?" Voldemort asked with a raised eyebrow.

"One of many names I have used over the years." Bill explained with a shrug of his shoulders before his calm demeanor once more turned cold. "I will warn you once more. Your men will die a slow painful death if they attempt to interfere, so I suggest you impress upon them the need for restraint. Now, I must go prepare for Mr. Potter's arrival. He will no doubt be very confused as to how he had come to be at his family home, I'd hate for him to be left to his own devises for to long." Not bothering to wait for a reply Bill, Tonks and John immediately activated their portkeys as Bill headed to Wales while Tonks and John went to Hogwarts.

Silence reigned for several minutes as no one dared to speak as their master cursed and muttered to himself. If the Death Eaters had their way they sure as hell wouldn't go. After all, if these people were who they said they were than Potter and Dumbledore will be dead and everything will be fine and they risk nothing. On the other hand if they weren't than they could all find themselves in a prison cell by the end of the day if it was a trap.

Voldemort knew perfectly well that this could possible be some elaborate trick by Dumbledore but he would risk everything he had to make sure because he certainly couldn't allow someone else to succeed where he has failed.

MMM

Juan and his twin brother Steven stood among the trees atop a hill that overlooked an old dilapidated manor house that appeared to be ready to collapse in on itself. It was over run with vegetation and it was obvious that no one had occupied it for several generations. Both men were wearing their battlerobes and the concealment charms on their hoods were already in place when a faint pop was heard be hind them. Their heart beat immediately quickened and they were dying to reach for their wands but neither even bothered to turn around to face the new arrivals.

"Who are you?" Both men grimaced slightly at the sickeningly sweet and suspicious voice before Juan turned his head slightly to see eight masked Death Eaters standing with their hands hovering over their wands. From what he had heard from Harry and others he had no doubt that that voice could only be from Umbridge and he had to prevent himself from laughing at the idea that Voldemort would welcome such inept witches and wizards into his inner circle.

"You are here to watch, not ask questions that are none of your concern." Juan said in a quiet but dangerous voice before turning his attention back to the scene in front of him. They could both here several of the Death Eaters growling in anger and some muttered threats but it would seem that none of them wanted to challenge them for the time being. After a few minutes of indecision they cautiously approached and looked down at the house in confusion. A few of them scoffed at the idea that Unspeakables would use such a ruin but they were quickly silenced when three cloaked men or women suddenly appeared about fifty yards from the house. The three surveyed their surroundings carefully with their wands in their hands before they slowly began walking towards the house.

"And this is supposed to be a secure location. Paranoid fools." Someone snorted at the Unspeakables behavior.

"They should be, someone has warned them of a possible attack." Steven said in a sneering tone as he seemed to look at the group of Death Eaters accusingly. "They are taking more precautions than normal. Two lookouts are hidden on the roof and two more positioned at the door, all other entrances are barricaded." Only after he said this did they seem to notice the men at the door but only when they saw a slight shimmer of a disillusionment charm were they able to locate one of the men on the roof.

"That should be the last of them." Juan muttered as the three men entered the house. For ten minutes no one made a sound as they all watched intently for even the slightest sign of fighting. A few of the Death Eaters were starting to get restless but froze for a moment when a number of rapid flashes lit up through the windows, however neither the guards at the doors or on the roof appeared to see or hear anything unusual.

"What was that?" One of the Death Eaters asked in a nervous tone. "How did your men get inside?" Steven turned around slowly to face him and the man seemed to grow even more tense with a metallic looking shield seemingly glaring back at him.

"An Unspeakable offered his services to my master and he brought two of our colleagues into the house before the others arrived." He answer after a moments pause as if he were thinking over the idea if he should tell them or not.

"What did he want in return?" The same man asked in a strained voice. He, as were the other Death Eaters, was clearly surprised that their 'master' was able to turn one of the Department's top agents when Voldemort himself couldn't even discover their identities.

"Does it matter? The man is probably dead already." Steven replied in an offhand manner before turning back around just in time to see a figure climb out of the window on the upper floor and make their way out onto the roof. At the same time three more figures wearing familiar green robes appear at the apperation point used only minutes earlier by the Unspeakables but unlike those other men and women these three just stood there and stared forward towards the house without moving a muscle.

After shouting a quick word into the house the two Unspeakables stationed at the door slowly advanced away from the house before coming to a rest about thirty yards away from the three unknown men as the two guards on the roof looked on. Almost without warning two of the unknowns broke into a run at an ungodly speed and closed the distance between them and the Unspeakables before they could even send one curse. Not even bothering to draw their wands the two used their superior speed to lock their arms around the men and twisting the heads violently. Barely three seconds had gone by and the Unspeakables lay motionless on the ground after apparently suffering broken necks. Moments later two more bodies impacted the ground after they had been thrown off the roof.

The Death Eaters looked on with their eyes and mouths wide open in shock. They simple couldn't believe that it was over that fast. Clearly they were expecting a prolonged firefight at the very least, there was more action in a herbology class with first year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students. Those that had entertained the idea of attacking the unknown men with them for their attitudes quickly changed their minds due to the ease at which only a handful of their associates seemed to defeat an overwhelming Unspeakable force.

"How long?" Steven asked, snapping the Death Eaters out of their stupors. Looking to the other man they saw him looking down at a watch in disgust.

"Two minutes nine seconds. They are getting lazy." Juan snapped back as he looked back up to the now burning house before shaking his head in disbelief. Without another word the two men activated their portkeys and vanished, leaving the Death Eaters standing around looking down at the flaming house with chalk white faces as they thanked whatever deity that may be listening that these men seemed to be allies rather than enemies.

Snape, Susan and Marietta appeared not far from the rundown house that at one time might have been quite beautiful. Unfortunately right now was not a time for site seeing. After arriving Snape took a quick glance up towards the hillside where he knew the Death Eaters were watching from before turning his complete attention to the situation in front of him. He couldn't help but smirk with pride as he caught a glimpse of Blaise as she made her way onto the roof before disappearing. She may be young but she was already well versed in the art of stealth. He was snapped out of his musing when the two 'Unspeakables' at the door noticed their arrival and 'attempted' to raise the alarm before coming out to meet them.

"Go!" Snape said simply and Susan and Marietta discreetly cast the fleetfoot charm on their legs before breaking into a run towards their opponents. He hardly had time to blink before the two men were down. "This is so undignified." He groaned as he slowly approached the house. The idea of fighting an imaginary fight for the benefit of a few clueless simpletons seemed beneath him somehow. Momentarily cringing as the bodies of the two guards on the roof impacted the ground he quickly instructed the two young witches to levitate the four bodies inside as he stalked into the house ahead of them. As he walked through the door he didn't bother to look around at his surroundings he just made a beeline towards the two men standing in the middle of the room, right next to a rather large pile of motionless bodies.

"Is everything ready?" He asked crisply as he kept his eyes locked on the two in front of him rather than the grizzly sight just meters away.

"Snape, everything was ready before we even got here." A man named James Patterson answered sarcastically but quickly continued when faced with Snape's furious glare. But to put your mind at ease, yes, we went through and double checked all the charms and made sure they were set right." Patterson was a good man but his love for sarcasm and creative double meanings greatly annoyed the potions master to no end. With a growl he spun on his heel and stalked back across the room to where Susan and Marietta had just deposited the prone bodies of the four men. With a few waves of his wand the charms they were under were lifted and the four rose to their feet as he eyed two of them in particular.

"Did the dampening charms hold, no injuries?" He asked curiously.

"They held just fine. I must admit that the idea of getting thrown off a roof wasn't very appealing but it was actually a refreshing experience. Didn't even feel the landing at all."

"That is so gross." Susan said as she looked at the many bodies in the center of the room with disgust. "They look so real."

"Of course they do." Blaise's voice echoed down the stairs. "Dumbledore is a transfiguration master for a reason after all." Snape raised an amused eyebrow and others chuckled as Blaise happily skipped down the final four steps to stand next to Marietta who didn't seem to keen on getting any closer.

"Alright, let's get out of here." Everyone seemed to agree and quickly activated their portkeys as Snape spoke a lengthy incantation causing numerous fires to breakout around the house from previously charmed locations.

Voldemort appeared in the countryside of Wales along with Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange and Peter Pettigrew at his side. All four had their wands drawn, preparing to strike in case they were led into a trap. Voldemort and his two top Death Eaters were very professional in their movements as they took in their surroundings for any possible threat, however Wormtail seemed to just flounder about hopelessly. Scanning the area they noticed they were standing in a lush green field with a small village in the distance. Voldemort gazed at what was left of the Potters' ancestral home with a thin lipped smirk. Peter however refused to look, diverting his eyes in every other direction. It did not take them long to locate their mysterious ally that they knew only as Acerbus Grim as he was standing some twenty yards away from the house with his eyes locked on a specific location. At the moment he didn't seem to be paying them any attention though they knew he was aware of their presence.

Stretching his magical senses Voldemort could feel the numerous wards surrounding the area, many of which had been established centuries ago ensuring that the muggles living in the area would not notice anything 'unusual'. What confused him, however, was the rather recent casting of an anti-portkey ward. With the ward active, how were they able to pass through. Looking down at the watch in his hand. Casting a few charms he was surprised to see that although it was a portkey, it was of a construction he had never encountered before and would be hard pressed to replicate. He looked sharply towards the man and just stared as his mind was working overtime. He had heard rumors that Potter had managed to acquire Portkeys similar to this but he hadn't believed it. With such knowledge he could easily pass through the wards of Hogwarts or the Ministry and overwhelm them. But how was this achieved? This train of thought was interrupted when the tell tale sound of a portkey reached his ears. Lifting his head swiftly he saw Potter appear stumbling in the very spot his attacker seemed to be expecting him.

Harry looked around in surprise as he regained his balance. He froze for a moment when he saw Voldemort and his three lackeys but the surprise on his face quickly gave way to hatred. He locked eyes with the Dark Lord and though he would never admit it Voldemort did NOT like the power that seemed to be dancing in his eyes like green flame. With one fluid movement Harry drew his wand and removed the concealment charms he customarily kept on his battlerobes to reveal the silver colored scales that made up the robes he had borrowed from Snape. With a few measured steps he began stalking towards the Death Eaters and their master with rage pouring out of him. Though it took a great deal of effort Voldemort was the only one capable of hiding his shock at the situation. Potter was actually willing, eager even, to try to take all four of them on. Granted Wormtail is a disgrace to the name of wizard but Bellatrix and Lucius are the strongest of the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself has the power and skill to rival that of Dumbledore. Clearly the boy was completely insane.

However Harry didn't get very far since he seemed to overlook the man that was standing not far away from the spot the portkey had brought him. Spinning around swiftly with a cry of '_ASTIUM TEBIUS' _a golden shield flared to life just in time to block the sickly green curse that was streaking towards him. He paused and looked at his new opponent in surprise for a moment as his eyes flickered towards Voldemort several times. Making a show of sizing his opponent up Harry 'seemed' to decide that at the moment this man was a much greater threat. With one last glance towards Voldemort and his servants Harry burst into action. Moving quickly he began firing curse after curse as he drifted towards the right so that so that while he was fighting Voldemort would still be in his line of sight.

As they watched Harry casting almost repeatedly all four spectators were greatly shocked to see Harry bloody Potter easily using many little known and powerful dark arts curses as if he were born knowing them. Though Voldemort himself could not determine the power level of the spells used from that distance they could all feel the tremendous amounts of dark magic in the air. And the skill and ease which these spells were deflected was equally surprising.

Apparently bored with the situation 'Acerbus' decided that now was the time to go on the offence. At first Harry seemed surprise when the man started firing curses of his own but he quickly composed himself enough to fend off the attacks, though he was hard pressed. Once again Harry's knowledge of the dark arts astounded Voldemort and his followers. It appeared that he not only studied how to cast the curses themselves but read enough and practiced enough to counter them. The clearly did not like this development but Malfoy, Lestrange and Pettigrew seemed to be in awe of the skill 'Acerbus' was showing. He easily defended all of Potter's attacks and then put him on the defensive and the man hadn't even moved a step.

All four, Voldemort included, blinked stupidly for a moment when a spell shattered Potter's shield and sent the boy crashing to the ground. At the rate the duel was progressing they almost expected it to go on forever without either combatant landing a blow. Harry tried to get to his feet quickly but he still had to ward off the other man's attack. Voldemort watched on in glee as Harry was hit with curse after curse and his physical condition was rapidly deteriorating. At one point Harry had reacted too slowly and taken a powerful cutting curse to the left side of his chest, slicing right through his robes. Thankfully the robes took the brunt of the force but the cut was still deep enough to bleed though it was not life threatening. Bill almost froze in shock when the curse hit but quickly composed himself after determining that it wasn't as bad as it looked. With one final spell Bill once again sent Harry slamming into the ground which caused him to lose hold of his wand.

For a moment Voldemort stiffened as he watched Harry trying to pull himself back up to his feet with Acerbus just watching with a detached curiosity, like he was wondering if the boy had anything left. He stood unmoving, allowing Harry to flounder about until he managed to get to his knees. Apparently thinking that he had no more fight left in him Acerbus took a few steps towards him and clearly said, "Goodbye, Mr. Potter." Before raising his wand once again. Moments before Voldemort had come to a decision. He could not let someone else succeed where he has failed numerous times. It sets a bad example for his Death Eaters.

Magically enhancing his speed Voldemort nearly flew towards the two fighters before casting a powerful shield to separate the two. The same shield Harry himself had used when he confronted the Order in the great hall when the robbed Hogwarts. Acerbus lowered his arm and just watched the scene unfold in a calm manner. Voldemort however was quite smug as he looked down at Harry and echoed Acerbus' words. "Goodbye Mr. Potter." He sneered as he raised his wand.

Harry looked up and the Dark Lord was momentarily caught off guard by the hatred in his eyes, a mistake that Harry took full advantage of. With a swift movement he reached into the sleeve of his robe and ripped his basilisk fang wand off of his left wrist. Voldemort's eyes went wide and the killing curse was on his lips but he was to late.

"_REDUCTO!_" He shouted loudly and he grinned in satisfaction when the red light of the explosion curse slammed into Voldemort's chest sending him flying through the air only to slam into the unforgiving surface of his own shield before dropping to the ground in a heap. The three Death Eaters broke into a run to rush to their fallen master's side but Acerbus stood just on the other side of the shield and looked down at the Dark Lord in amusement as he chuckled lightly. Taking advantage of the time Harry quickly summoned his other wand and activated his portkey. Unfortunately and unnoticed by everyone else, even Bill, just before it whisked him away a man had appeared seemingly out of no where and latched on to his back, vanishing with him.

Almost lazily Acerbus raised his wand yet again and with a simple word Voldemort's shield dropped. Voldemort was lying on his back coughing violently as the gaping hole in his chest seemed to be repairing itself at an incredible rate. Bill had to fight to keep from throwing up at the sight but took a great deal of satisfaction for the fact that the man was in a lot of pain. Malfoy, Lestrange and Pettigrew looked on in horror at what happened to their master but knew that if they tried to assist him in any way they would be greatly punished.

"You feel it now don't you?" Bill asked smugly. The Dark Lord's chest appeared to be nearly completely repaired by now but he would certainly be feeling that for a while, not to mention the magical exhaustion he would surely suffer due to such a recovery. Voldemort's teeth were clenched tightly in pain but his eyes held confusion at the question. "Your fear, Potter's fist growing tighter around your heart." He explained and merely chuckled darkly at the murderous look in his crimson eyes before he removed a thick silver ring from his pocket.

"When you decide that you wish to stop acting like a child and take the situation seriously I will be waiting. Simply place your message within this ring and say my name." Was all he said before dropping the ring on the ground next to the Dark Lord before he walked away laughing. Moments later he was gone, leaving behind three very frightened Death Eaters and one enraged and weak Dark Lord.

TBC

Sorry for the delay but hey, you know how it is. Next chapter shouldn't take nearly as long since I have no homework or research papers to do.

The fight with Dumbledore at Hogwarts will be at the beginning of the next chapter. I found it rather difficult to write three fight scenes for one chapter so I decided to do it this way and get another chapter out before Christmas.

I would like to thank whoever it was that reviewed under the name of guess with the suggestion for the name Acerbus Grim. I was leaning towards Kane but that is much better.

Also I would like to thank everyone who has either nominated or voted for my stories for the fanfic awards at This story has been nominated for the best independent Harry category and Lord of Azkaban has been nominated for best Azkaban story so once again thank all of you that have read this story.


	24. The Brides of Hogwarts

**Alright, this is by far the longest chapter of the story thus far topping out at a whopping 23,760 words so don't bother reading it until you have plenty of time on your hands. After this there will be only one more chapter until the end.**

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Twenty Four: The Brides of Hogwarts**

Harry arrived in the entrance hall of Potter Manor in much the same position he had left. Even though he was in a relatively stable position on his knees he still had trouble staying upright as his arrival had jarred his body enough to cause a stinging pain to shoot through his chest and abdomen where Bill's cutting curse had connected. Gently pressing his hand to his side he quickly surveyed the wound and though it looked pretty nasty and fairly deep it wasn't bleeding very much and probably wouldn't leave much scaring if any at all if it was cleaned and healed right away. Breathing in deeply he let out an explosive breath as he thought about how close that curse had come to doing some serious damage. Pulling himself up to his feet he was prepared to enter the sitting room where he could hear a few people moving around, probably Snape and his team, and see about Beckle healing his wound when he suddenly realized what had happened just before he had left Voldemort. The instance was so brief that he figured he could have imagined it but he highly doubted it. Just as his portkey was activating he could have sworn someone or something had grabbed him from behind.

Bill, with Blaise's assistance, had made some excellent modifications to the wards surrounding the house, including the Fedelius Charm. It was these modifications that allowed them to portkey captured Death Eaters directly into the house without giving them its direct location instead of over burdening Harry or Twinkle since now that they both held the position of _secret keeper_ they were the only ones that could bring an 'outsider' through the wards safely. However if someone were to use one of their portkeys and were not keyed into the wards or have Harry's expressed permission to be there, as Marietta had when he first sent her there during the battle in Diagon Alley, that person would be transported directly into the holding cells as the Death Eaters were. And thanks to a little imagination, from Dung of all people, the wards shielding the cells would strip the person of their wand and all other forms of weapons and store them in a locked closet until someone had the time to go through it.

With this information in mind Harry decided to hold off speaking with the others for a short time and find out who had the brass to hitch a ride with him. for some reason he seriously doubted that it was a Death Eater because if Voldemort was going to have one of his followers conceal themselves in the event that events did not go to plan he was pretty sure that the Dark Lord would have used either Lestrange or Malfoy, possibly even Dolohov because of their skill. Besides if this person had been hiding on Voldemort's order he or she would have probably started throwing curses at him not latch on to him to be transported someplace that they were sure to be severely out numbered and over matched.

Moving swiftly down the stairs into the cellar he nearly slammed through the think oak door to the right of the potions lab that led into a long narrow corridor that was lined with numerous magically reinforced steel doors. The area had previously been left completely bare, what his parents had intended for the space when they had the house built he didn't know and really didn't care but after a great deal of effort towards digging out more space and erecting the walls to the cells themselves it served quite well for a temporary prison while they questioned their prisoners before 'anonymously' handing them over to the Ministry, or more specifically Madam Bones or Jeffery Stevens since they could be trusted to actually keep the Death Eaters locked up. In total they had eleven cells but if need be they could stuff a few Death Eaters in other secure locations throughout the house but currently only three cells were occupied.

Moving down the line he scanned each door with his magical eye until he came across a man he had never seen before. Any thoughts he may have still had regarding the possibility of the man being a Death Eater was quickly cast way. In fact the man looked to be the complete opposite. The cell was bare except for a stone bench along the back wall and their new prisoner was currently stretched out across it while his head rested lazily, propped up on the wall as he read a book instead of the ramrod straight and stiff posture he had come to expect from muggle aristocracy and pureblood fanatics alike. Though he couldn't hear him Harry could easily tell that the man was currently whistling an energetic tone that he quite obviously found pleasing as if he didn't have a care in the world and being locked in a prison cell in an unknown location was an everyday experience for him.

He appeared to be in his early thirties, he had light brown hair and kind yet mischievous ice blue eyes. His eyes also seemed to hold an age and wisdom that far exceeds even Albus'. Temporarily turning his attention elsewhere, Harry walked further down the hall until he came to a stout wooden door and with a few waves of his wand and a lengthy incantation the numerous locks and enchantments were released and the door gently swung open. Stepping into the small closet he gazed across the various shelves until he came across the box that corresponded with the cell that the man was in.

"What the…" He began in surprise as he looked in and saw not one, or even two or three but four wands had been deposited into the bin. Harry was all for carrying a back up wand but this was ridiculous. Besides the wands the only other contents were two small vials of a thin semi-transparent red liquid and what appeared to be a portkey that, of course, was rendered useless when it passed through the wards of the Fedelius Charm. Picking one up he was briefly startled to feel a rather moderate magical signature, a signature that was distinctly familiar but he could seem to recall where he had encountered it before since he couldn't remember coming across any potion of this kind before. Shaking his head briefly to clear his thoughts he placed the vial back into the bin and locked the door once more before moving back to the cell door.

"Twinkle!" The house elf answered his call almost before he had finished and looked at his wounded chest with wide eyes.

"Could you bring Snape down here please? I'll get this fixed up in a few minutes but I have to take care of something else first." He finished as he could see she was going to make a fuss about his injury. Twinkle didn't look happy about putting it off even for a few minutes but nodded and did as she was asked. After drawing his basilisk fang wand he placed his left hand flat against the door and waited as the wards read his magical signature. Much like the closet door all the locks and wards disengaged and Harry was soon granted access. Harry stood in the doorway with his wand at the ready just incase the man tried to take him by surprise but much to Harry's confusion he didn't even show that he knew he was there, he just kept on reading.

"Who are…?"

"Shhh, I'm almost finished." The man cut him off as he turned another page of his book. Harry just stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. Of all the Death Eaters they had captured he had never seen one act as unconcerned as this man. Hell not even Stevens acted calm and collected when they kidnapped him and he was as reserved a man as Harry had ever met. This guy just didn't seem to care about his current situation at all and a light Legillimency probe confirmed that though Harry was prevented from going any farther, both because of his lack of experience in the field and the man's considerable mental defenses. A few moments later he appeared to be finished with his current chapter as he placed a bookmark and closed his book before sitting up and looking at Harry with soft eyes.

"You must be Harry Potter. I must admit that you look nothing like I would have expected." He said with amusement as he took in the younger man's features.

"And who are you and what business do you have with me?" Harry asked with suspicion. Though the man didn't _seem _the type to be a Death Eater there were more people out there than just Voldemort and his followers that would wish him harm for any number of reasons. Considering that he clearly knew where he was going to be and when certainly put his suspicions on high alert and the fact that the man managed to make it into his house, even though it was a holding cell, didn't sit well with him either.

"Well if you're going to take that kind of an attitude then I am just going to stay right here." The man said as he sniffed with irritation at Harry's 'rude' behavior. This seemed only to bring Harry's confusion to an all time high.

"What?" He asked stupidly, bringing a wide smile to the man's face.

"Well, if you insist." He said as he stood up and began walking towards the door. Harry's bewildered thoughts were racing and he didn't seem to see the man until he was almost on top of him. But before he could raise his wand to defend himself movement behind him caused him to spin around out of reflex and his confusion grew when he was met with the shocked wide eyed face of Severus Snape.

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!" Snape shouted loudly causing Harry to jump. This statement only seemed to brighten the man's mood even more.

"Sorry to disappoint Sevvy!" He exclaimed happily as he pulled the surly potions master into a tight embrace though Snape clearly didn't share the other man's enthusiasm. Harry looked on with wide eyes and a slack jaw for a moment before he was finally able to pull himself together.

"What the hell is going on here?" He asked loudly though he somehow managed to keep himself from shouting. The unknown man looked at Harry in surprised for a moment as though he had forgotten that he was there. Snape however just continued to glare at the other man.

"Oh, excuse me Mr. Potter but it appears that the excitement of a friendship renewed had temporarily robbed me of my manners." He explained as he grinned cheekily at the scowling Snape and wiped a fake tear from his eye before turning back to him and extending his hand. "Nicholas Flamel, at you service." Blinking stupidly for what felt like the hundredth time within the space of two minutes, Harry just stared as his mind seemed to have shut down. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he looked sharply over to Snape and it was clear by the expression on the man's face that he believed it as well as the fact that his irritation and dislike for the man was a cleverly disguised fabrication. If this was indeed true than the man was nothing like he had expected. For one he didn't look nearly old enough and that glint in his eyes was a look he had come to expect from the Weasley twins not a six hundred plus year old alchemist. In truth he was expecting someone more like Albus.

"But, but Albus said you were dead." Harry half asked half stated as he tried to piece together what was going on.

"Really, now why would he think that I wonder?" Flamel asked himself with an innocent expression after he paused for a moment with one finger on his chin as though he were in deep thought.

"Probably because he destroyed the Sorcerer's Stone, effectively cutting off your supply of the Elixir of Life." Snape snapped back after he was able to get his emotions under control enough to effectively join the conversation. Flamel looked at him with a patronizing raise of the eyebrow.

"It is a foregone conclusion that after the stone was destroyed I would eventually die soon after my elixir ran out. As I am the only one in history with the skill and knowledge to create the stone Voldemort would be forced to seek some measure of immortality somewhere else. But, what, pray tell, would prevent me from creating another one after the Dark Lord believed I was dead and the secret of the stone with me?" He asked with a smug grin. Snape and Harry looked at each other in surprise for a moment before they both schooled their features into neutral expressions.

"And how did you know where I would be, much less the fact that you did nothing while I was nearly killed not more than ten minutes ago?"

"Simple really. Originally I had planned to expose myself to Albus but then changed my mind. I traveled to Hogwarts to speak with him but was temporarily distracted from my target." Snape snorted at this admission and Harry got the distinct impression that distracting the man was relatively easy to do unless something of greater importance was going on. Apparently speaking to the Headmaster was something he was willing to postpone for a time. His nosiness, err, curiosity, apparently knew no bounds.

"Imagine my surprise when I came across another person in those halls that obviously didn't wish to be seen and I must admit that even I was hard pressed to keep on her trail. She seemed to be quite adept at remaining covert."

"Apparently they are not that skilled if they couldn't detect someone following them." Harry spoke up sarcastically though he was greatly curious as to who had managed to bypass the school's wards.

"Potter, Flamel is quite skilled in the arts of stealth and surveillance. Albus himself couldn't detect him if he didn't wish to be seen." Flamel went on to explain witnessing this woman confronting McGonagall with information about a planned attack. Thinking it over for sometime he decided to see Albus and offer his support but when he arrived the Headmaster was not in his office. After extensively searching the castle and the grounds he came up empty until he happened across a secluded spot on the far side of the lake.

"Imagine my surprise when I find Albus and two others engaged in battle with a single individual not to mention the fact that they were obviously choreographing their moves. The only explanation I could come up with, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that these reported attacks were really nothing more than a ruse. A theory that has now been proven." He finished his explanation happily.

"And how has that far fetched theory been proven?" Harry asked with uncertainty, the last thing they needed was more people in the loop so to speak.

"Well the fact that at this very moment Severus is wearing battlerobes identical to the ones your so called attacker was wearing is one give away." Harry looked annoyed at the man's raised eyebrow before he looked at the man standing next to him and saw that he was indeed still wearing his robes. Groaning to himself Harry once again asked how he had found the location of his 'ambush' but was answered only with a small smile and a simple, 'It's what I do.' After a few more minutes of talking and a quick dose of Veritaserum, at Harry's instance, both Harry and Snape accepted the man's story but as of yet they didn't know why he was there.

"All will be revealed soon. I am here primarily because I am curious about your reaction to certain news but I have decided that I would let Albus explain it. It does so warm his heart to impart his knowledge to young people." He said with mirth but Harry had a very bad feeling that he would hate whatever news he was referring to and he began feeling his anger rising again at the thought of more information that had been withheld from him. As if sensing what Harry was thinking Flamel, or rather Nick as he insisted Harry call him, assured him that Albus had only recently come into this information and had more than likely wanted to wait until their plan was well underway so that he wouldn't have it weighing on him at some crucial moment.

"Well what about you? You said Albus only discovered this information recently but how long have you known about it?" Harry asked suspiciously after asking again and again to be told now only to be met with refusal.

"I have known for many years now but I only recently put the pieces together and realized what it meant, that is why I am here now." Harry growled to himself in irritation before deciding to just put it out of his mind for the time being. Though he gave the man his wands back Harry was still wary of him but when he passed him the two vials that he had also been relieved of Harry suddenly remembered where he had felt that magical signature before. It was almost identical to the one he had felt when he handled the Sorcerer's Stone five years before though it was quite a bit weaker. Realization suddenly hit him and he looked at the potion with barely concealed awe figuring that it must be the Elixir of Life. Shaking the feeling off he passed it back to Nick and Snape led the way back up the stairs to the entrance hall. As they passed through the door they heard a gasp and looked towards the sitting room the see Blaise standing there with wide shocked eyes and for a brief unsettling moment Harry could see the resemblance to Snape. Unlike Harry or even Snape however she was able to overcome her shock quite quickly and let out a delighted squeel, a sound that seemed somehow out of place for her.

"UNCLE NICK!" She yelled as she crossed the hall at an incredible rate and threw her arms around the man. An action he was happy to return. The sudden commotion drew the attention of the others and they soon began filing out of the sitting room but quickly raised their hoods at seeing an unknown face. Harry looked over at the group and scanned each quite thoroughly and was quite pleased that they all seemed to be alright, although Tonks looked to be a little out of it. He was at her side in an instant but at her constant reassurances that she was just fine Harry turned to Dung for an explanation and although Tonks was glaring daggers at the man he decided that it would be best for HIS overall health if he told the truth.

"She got distracted for a brief moment and was hit by the Ulizapher curse that Mad Eye had sent at her." The old thief explained as he tried to ignore the look on Tonks face. "Unfortunately she will just have to wait for the curse to run its course but we've already given her a claming potion and even a couple of cheering charms. She should be fine within the next half hour." Harry cringed at the name of the curse and looked at Tonks in worry. The curse was relatively easy to cast but impossible to simply remove with a wave of the wand. What it did was replicate the feelings a Dementor would force on a person's mind. This was a very effective curse to use in a duel since when a person's pain and fear is all they can think about it usually makes them very sloppy. They begin to get careless and make mistakes. While it is not exactly illegal it is certainly looked down upon by the Ministry and the wider scholastic community but when you are in a fight you use everything in your arsenal to make sure you come out alive.

"What happened to distract her?" Harry asked curiously. From what he had heard from Albus, Moody and Remus, Tonks had preformed admirably in their practices and she wasn't normally one to let outside influences get to her when she had a job to do.

"That is another story all together." Dung replied with a grimace. After a quick round of introductions and a great deal of explanations and assurances the others decided to just accepted their word that he was indeed Nicholas Flamel and he didn't mean them any harm. When Harry informed the man that he was not to know the identity of the men with their hoods raised he was met with a rather amused and knowing look and he got the distinct and uncomfortable impression that he had somehow already learned their true identities.

"You're hurt!" Susan suddenly shouted, startling everyone present, and in an instant she was at Harry's side prodding his wound with her wand as she shouted for Beckle who appeared immediately. Harry tried to fend the two of them off but it was all in vain. They were both very insistent. With everyone's attention now drawn to his injury Bill paled slightly and began apologizing profusely for what had happened or rather what could have happened. Harry just waved these off assuring the older man that it was his own slow reaction that was at fault.

"Ouch! Enough with the poking." Harry complained when Susan stuck her wand directly into the wound for what felt like the hundredth time and it certainly wasn't feeling any better each time she did it. The young Hufflepuff silenced him immediately with a glare he found eerily reminiscent of Madam Pomfrey. With a few waves of her wand Susan closed the wound as best she could before Beckle smeared a thick, clear potion down the length of the cut. Looking down at his side Harry was momentarily surprised at how bad it looked but figured it must have been the slight orange tint of the potion that made the red of the cut look so dark and swollen.

"Now don't you be doing nothing to irritate until it is well healed." Beckle told him firmly with a sever look on her face. Harry just nodded quickly and fled, err, advanced in another direction. In this case, the direction of the sitting room.

Soon they were all back in the sitting room and Harry and a few others were looking at Dung for an explanation for what had happened to Tonks and by implication, their 'mission'. Without a word Dung walked to the far wall where they had a pensieve resting. They had gotten into the habit of just leaving it out for when they needed it the next time after Harry had shown them his memory of his first meeting with Voldemort as 'Acerbus Grim'. They would show a particular memory that they thought would be helpful to the others then immediately place it back into their heads. It's also good for entertainment when you've had a few too many drinks.

After placing the silver thread of his memory into the stone basin and brought it over to a small table near the center of the room. All those present that had not been there gathered around it and placed a finger into the bowl. At first Nicholas appeared to decline but his curiosity quickly discarded the idea that it wasn't really any of his business and he quickly joined them.

MMM

**AN:** Just so everyone knows, for the most part this _memory _is going to be written out as if it were an actual fight, not just staged. So the emotions and thoughts of the various characters are going to be what they 'show' not necessarily what they actually feel. Have no idea why I wrote this but I thought I should say it.

MMM

After the unpleasant spinning of their heads had subsided everyone looked around to find themselves standing just outside the schools wards along the northern edge of the Forbidden Forest, not far from the lake. Directly in front of them they could see two figures who were obviously Dung and Tonks crouched down in the brush as they scanned the area with sharp eyes. They didn't utter a word or even twitch a muscle for several minutes until some light footsteps from behind reached their ears. Turning their head slightly one of the two glanced over their shoulder. Almost as one the whole group spun around to see a single man in green battlerobes leading a small group of decidedly nervous Death Eaters behind him.

_"Return to your position!" Dung spoke up in a harsh voice without looking back. The man behind him inclined his head slightly before he literally disappeared back into the trees. The ease at which he vanished certainly didn't set the Death Eaters' minds at ease but everyone watching found their anxiety amusing. "For the time you are here, if I give you an order, you will follow it immediately and without question. If you interfere in any way, I will take great pleasure in seeing you dead." Although they were wearing masks you could still tell that the Death Eaters were greatly surprised and angered to be spoken to and threatened in such a way and more than one had to be physically restrained by their companions to prevent them from doing something that they would surely regret. Death Eaters were not known for their self restraint, probably a byproduct of having a master that couldn't control his emotions._

_"You dare show such lack of respect for you betters?" One man snarled in anger as he and a few others drew their wands. Both Dung and Tonks rolled their eyes at such a stereotypical Death Eater response. _

_"I show respect only to those that have earned mine and I can tell you now, none of you have the intelligence or the skill to accomplish that feat. Your own Lord is wary of crossing wands with my colleagues and I and especially my master, it would be wise for you to follow his example." Even the hotheads of the group were forced to think back to the way Lord Voldemort behaved towards these men in Knockturn Alley and the, if not reluctance than, restraint he had showed when dealing with them. Not to mention the fact that they had at least one and possibly more hidden in the trees all around them. Casting wary glances at their surroundings, looking for any sign of movement, those that had drawn their wands slowly put them away. _

_"Here," Dung began again as he passed a silver medallion to Tonks. "This will allow you to pass through the wards undetected. You have about two minutes to get into position, go." He ordered as Tonks wordlessly took the medallion and placed it around here neck before rising to her feet but Dung stopped her once again with a few chilling words. "And I don't think I need to remind you of the punishment for failure?" After looking at her companion for a brief moment Tonks nodded sharply before crossing the wards and making her way down to the lakes edge._

_"What's the punishment for failure?" A voice that Dung recognized as Walden McNair asked after a long pause._

_"A death longer and more painful than even your master could possibly imagine."_

_"So, she either kills Dumbledore or she will be tortured to death?" Another asked in a shocked voice. The sound of the woman's voice as well as the body language of the others clearly showed that they all believed that it was a foregone conclusion that she would be killed. Let's face it, this was Dumbledore she has to face._

_"The only true failure is when you give up and stop trying. It is possible that even if Dumbledore defeats her that my master will still take her into his service but that all depends on how she performs." Dung replied in an offhand manner that shocked those with him._

_"You, you mean this is some initiation rite?"_

_"Of course, if she can't give that old man a good fight then she is certainly of no use to us. Quite a bit more strenuous than torturing a few muggle children isn't it?" He chuckled darkly at the very idea that that was a proper initiation for a group of warriors._

**"Oh, that was good." Harry told dung happily. The others just muttered their agreement as they watched the events unfold. Anything that made the Death Eaters feel inferior always made them feel good.**

**"You liked that? I had been trying for days to come up with some things to say to them but in the end I just decided to wing it." Any other chatter was immediately cut off when the recognizable figure of Albus Dumbledore came into view as he crested a small hill not far away, moving directly towards them.**

_At seeing the Headmaster all the Death Eaters quickly took cover, whether it was behind a tree or flattening themselves on the ground along some low bushes. Dung looked behind him for a moment at the sound of sudden movement and laughed quietly to himself at their idiotic and fearful behavior._

_Dumbledore continued along his path in blissful ignorance of the danger that lay ahead of him. As he moved closer to the water's edge he suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure that's robes had aided it in being obscured by the thick vegetation in the area. That was the primary reason for choosing this location. It was a sheltered area that was nearly impossible to see from the school._

_"Oh, good morning." Albus said cheerfully although his eyes were watching this person intently. Tonks merely turned slightly to face Albus but showed neither aggression nor friendly intentions._

**Both Harry and Snape rolled their eyes at the ever present politeness of the Headmaster. No doubt Voldemort could come into his office after slaughtering half the student population and he would still offer him tea and a lemon drop, just to get the niceties out of the way, before they both tried to kill each other.**

_"Normally the wards protecting this school will warn me if anyone enters its grounds, strange that I did not sense you."_

_"We have our ways." Tonks spoke up for the first time._

_"We? Would you be referring to those that helped you defeat the Death Eaters in Diagon Alley. I imagine robes like that are hard to come by in such large numbers. I would ask you your intentions but the fact that you are here and are not surprised by my presence tells me much of what I need to know, but why here?" He continued in that annoying grandfatherly tone he is so fond of._

_"Why not here?" Albus looked momentarily surprised at the response but quickly covered it up._

_"Well as peaceful as it is out here, wouldn't my office be a more comfortable place to speak…" Whatever Albus was going to say he was cut off quickly as Tonks drew her wand swiftly and fired a rather painful bone shattering curse at him. If he was caught off guard by the sudden move he certain recovered quickly enough._

**"Thank God. That was one boring conversation, as short as it was." Harry muttered to himself and was rewarded with a smack on the arm from Tonks. "What? All I'm saying is that neither you or Albus are going to win any awards for your improvisational skills." Tonks glared at him for a moment then laughed briefly before trying to shake her head clear of the images and the feelings of despair. Seeing her struggle Harry pulled her tightly to his chest as he watched the duel while thinking that he would have to have a very strong conversation with Moody about hitting her with that particular curse.**

_Albus' wand seemed to appear in his hand out of nowhere and he had a shield raised and another spell on his lips before Tonks curse was halfway to him. Not bothering to waste her magical energy on a shield Tonks just nimbly sidestepped the three stunning spells that were fired at her rapidly before continuing her attack on 'the most powerful wizard in the world'. Throughout the fight Tonks would be synchronizing physical and magical techniques of blocking her opponent's spells. She certainly couldn't match Albus' power, or even Moody's, but she could appear to if she conserved enough magical and physical energy to last a while. And that meant casting shield charms only for curses she couldn't dodge but also finding a way to dodge those curses that would suck to much energy out of her if she were to cast a shield. _

_As the duel progressed Albus' face was as expressionless and bleak as a block of granite but his movements shadowed those of a man a fraction of his age. His spell casting was quick and precise while his accuracy was spot on, if only his target wouldn't keep jumping around with no discernable pattern. Fortunately for him Tonks wasn't having much luck getting through his defenses either. Apparently becoming annoyed with his elusive target Albus decided to go another route and much like he did at the Department of Mysteries just months before he called up animated creatures to help distract his opponent. But unlike his duel with Voldemort he had no statues to work with but that didn't seem to bother him in the least._

_It started as only a slight tremble in the earth but soon enough the ground was lurching beneath their feet nearly causing the two fighters to lose their footing. In no time at all four large creatures burst forth from the earth and almost immediately made to intercept Tonks. Two of them sported the size and characteristics of griffins while the other two were slightly smaller but no less dangerous in the form of hippogriffs. The Death Eaters were watching with wide eyes at the display of power but their shock was about to reach new heights._

_Tonks' movements showed no sign that she was intimidated by the feat, on the contrary, she almost seemed to expect such a move. Much to the shock of those watching and even Dumbledore, she banished these 'constructs' with a simple flick of her wand. Fortunately when Voldemort witnesses these events either in a pensieve or using Legillimency on one of the Death Eaters present, he will not be able to feel the magic being used so he will not be able to tell that it was actually Albus himself that had canceled the spell._

_Dumbledore, slack jawed and wide eyed, looked at the four mounds of motionless dirt for a brief moment, a brief moment that Tonks took full advantage of. Albus was brought back to reality when two strong bludgeoning charms got passed his defenses and collided with his right hip and his left shoulder, knocking him back several paces and putting his body into a slight spin until he crashed to the ground nearly face first. Despite his age, not to mention how much such a landing must have hurt, he was able to swiftly roll over on to his back before nearly jumping back to his feet. Much to Albus' dismay he was immediately put back on the defensive. _

_"Commander!" Every Death Eater, even most of those merely watching the memory gave a start and spun around to see where the new voice had come from. Moving silently through the brush was another green robed figure that simply ignored the Death Eaters watching him warily as he quickly approached Dung._

_"What is it?" Dung asked without looking away from the duel that had suddenly turned against the Hogwarts Headmaster._

_"There are two men moving through the forest towards this area of the lake. When they clear the trees they will be no more than fifty yards from our master's recruit."_

_"Who are they?" Dung asked in an uninterested tone as though it were of no concern._

_"The Auror Moody and Remus Lupin."_

_"Ah, the paranoid lunatic and the werewolf. This could prove to be an interesting morning." He replied happily much to everyone's confusion._

_"So you wish us not to interfere with them? They would surely complicate matters."_

_"Of that I have no doubt, but let's see how she handles it." Voldemort's followers were looking at Dung as if he were insane and rightfully so. It was one thing, however great, to expect this woman to defeat Dumbledore but to add two more powerful wizards was absolutely crazy not to mention suicide. The Raiders however were greatly looking forward to the emanate arrival of the two Order members._

_Tonks kept up her rate of fire as she moved about so as not to give the man a stationary target. Since his 'constructs' were destroyed Albus was kept off balance and though he was able to shield against most of her curses the impact against his shields had the added effect of knocking him back and prevented him from getting sure footing to launch a counter attack. When Tonks fired a simple explosion hex Dumbledore face betrayed his hopes of possibly gaining the upper hand as the curse was easily deflected with the right shield but to his surprise the curse was not aimed at him but rather at the ground just in front of him. Hastily casting a charm to shield against physical objects probably saved his life but the mass of dirt and rocks that was blasted into him certainly didn't do him any favors as he was once again thrown bodily through the air._

_The Death Eaters simply couldn't believe what they were seeing. This was Albus bloody Dumbledore and here he was literally being man handled by a woman. Since he had first taken the name of Voldemort their master had faced Dumbledore twice, the last time just a few months ago, and both times he was driven back, never gaining the advantage. This realization got them thinking about how many more of these mysterious green cloaked warriors could possibly be a match for even their Lord._

_Tonks advanced on her opponent as he climbed back to his feet, though quite a bit slower than last time and a good bit dirtier. Just as she was about to finish the old man off a slight glance behind her caught her attention and she spun around and raised a shield just in time to block a stunning spell and a bone breaking curse that was conveniently enough aimed at her spine. Even against his enemies, Albus always tried to avoid underhanded tactics but if the first several minutes of the duel was anything to go by than he was out classed. So naturally he decided that now was as good a time as any to take the low road. Yes, Albus Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamont, member of the International Confederation of Wizards and Order of Merlin First Class attempted to shoot his opponent in the back when her attention was drawn towards the newly arrived Mad Eye and Remus. 'Attempted' being the operative word of course. _

_Quick as lightening Tonks jumped back in time to avoid the spell, drawing her backup wand in the process she took several steps backwards towards the lake until Dumbledore and both Remus and Moody, who were currently charging down the shore line to their location, were in her line of site. Surprisingly enough it was the same stunning spell Harry had used on Kingsley Shacklebolt. So much for Hermione's belief that the Headmaster would never lower himself to using the Dark Arts. Dumbledore groaned to himself when his curse missed but decided to try to play this diplomatically since this stranger was now in way over her head and maybe they could gleam some good information out of her. Not to mention the fact that he was tired._

_Remus and Moody reached them in no time at all, Moody could move pretty fast for a gimp, and were watching Tonks for any sign of action. The four stood unmoving for several minutes with their wands trained on their target, or targets, just waiting for the right moment to strike. The small and not so friendly group stood in a crude triangular pattern with Albus on Tonks right side with Remus at her left though Moody was slowly drifting over to stand in front of her to cut off any possible escape through the forest. Albus naturally thought that this was an opportune moment to give their unknown enemy a second option since both his companions appeared to be too confused to mediate any sort of negotiation._

_"You are most skilled, I will give you that, but you could not hope to defeat all three of us. It would be wise for you to surrender." Albus said sagely as he regarded his attacker over the rims of his half moon spectacles. He didn't expect her to give up right then but after a few minutes of talking he was sure that he could have talked her through it. He was not, however, expecting to be answered with a genuine amused laugh. _

_"Wise from your point of view, perhaps, but not from mine." With no further warning she immediately cast a shield charm around herself as she focused all of her offensive spells on Remus as she moved quickly to her left. She closed the distance between her and the werewolf in no time at all and due to the concentration needed to block her spells the foot that was about to come into contact with the side of his head went unnoticed until the last moment. The force of the impact knocked him back several feet and he staggered to get his barings once again but his werewolf strength and stamina helped him stay on his feet at least. Unfortunately for Remus Tonks wasn't finished yet and the close quarters the two were in neither Moody nor Albus could risk casting spells to help._

_Remus shook off the whirling sensation his head was experiencing only to witness a boot assault his chest. This time he was not able to keep his footing and he crashed to the ground as he sucked air into his lungs in deep painful gasps. Tonks was thrown forward as two or even three curses hit her in the back causing her to stumble on the slick rocks that littered the shore. Luckily her robes took the vast majority of the blow but she will certainly be feeling that in the morning._

_Turning once more to face the two men that were cautiously moving towards her, a move they probably began to assist Remus when she attacked him at close range. Deciding to use the same tactic once more she felt Dumbledore would be the best choice since he was by no means rested as Moody was. Both men's eyes widened slightly at the move but quickly recovered and were soon throwing just about every spell they knew. Once again Tonks was using the wand in her left hand to conjure shield after shield while every spell coming from the wand in her right hand was offensive in nature and packed one hell of a punch. However unlike rushing Remus this time she didn't come through unscathed. She was smart enough to know that she couldn't block everything so she allowed the lighter and less destructive curses to pass her shields and allowed her robes to take care of her. While Basilisk skin is very strong it can't stand up to everything so it was damaged in some areas and gave her some minor wounds. Fortunately they were all well aware of how to repair these robes, it would be a damn shame if they had to merely throw them away should they be damaged._

_Once again Moody was forced to quit firing when Albus continued his struggle at point blank range. Having no intention of allowing the same thing that happened to Remus happen to Albus, Moody stomped over to the two, intent on ending this struggle now. Just before he reached the pair Tonks dropped to the ground and swept the Headmaster's legs out from under him. He landed on his back rather hard and the dazed look in his eyes indicated that he hit his head pretty hard and may have a concussion. Once again ready to finish the old man off and once again she was interrupted by Moody. She jumped out of the way of several rather nasty hexes just in time and she glared at the old Auror before putting one of her wands away. She wanted to enjoy this and to do that it had to be as fair a fight as possible. Moody had just cast his first spell when a loud screeching sound echoed over the school grounds and the wards nearby flared up with crimson light. Tonks gave a start at the sudden noise and turned slightly to see what had happened, a mistake that cost her a great deal when she was hit with Moody's spell._

MMM

_Voldemort's servants looked on in glee as the Headmaster fell and showed little sign of getting up. They were ready to cheer loudly until Moody prevented Tonks from delivering the killing blow. Groaning in disappointment they once again focused on the confrontation in front of them in awe at the skill and power Tonks was displaying. All except for one that is._

_Walden McNair was looking at the fallen wizard with a predatory gleam in his eyes. Their master had told them not to interfere but he was sure that if HE had killed the old man he would surely be forgiven for his transgression. After all, Remus Lupin was once again making his way to his feet and then this woman, whoever she was, would once again have her hands full and finishing off the Headmaster would eliminate a very dangerous opponent giving her leave to concentrate on the two weaker wizards._

_Either forgetting the threat Dung had issued in regards to interference or, more likely, disregarding it in the belief that these men wouldn't dare attack a follower of Lord Voldemort, McNair drew his wand and began to quickly walk out of the cover of the trees._

_"McNair, what are you doing?" Someone snapped loudly, bringing Dung's attention to the man._

_"Making sure the old man troubles our master no more." Was all he said as he strode forward. Dung did nothing to stop him which gave credence to his belief that he had nothing to fear from these men but he was suddenly brought up short when he crossed the school's protective wards. Instantly a very loud and extremely annoying high pitched screech began to sound and the previously invisible wards became visible, alerting anyone with functioning eyes and ears to their exact location, an improvement in the school's defenses that Dumbledore and Flitwick had been working on for a few years but were only recently able to implement. _

_McNair turned suddenly and looked at his compatriots with wide shocked eyes. Dung rose to a standing position slowly and never took his eyes off the Death Eater that was now looking at him fearfully._

_"Kill him!" Dung ordered in an emotionless tone as he turned away from the man. Instantly the unmistakable green light of the killing curse appeared out of nowhere and slammed into McNair's chest. The man's eyes went dull as he crumpled to the ground in a motionless heap. Unseen by the men and women behind him, Dung closed his eyes tight as he tried to get his emotions under control. Despite their warnings they knew that it was possible that one or more of the Death Eaters would try to interfere but they could not appear weak and they absolutely had to make good on any threats or promises. The fact that the man was a Death Eater certainly wouldn't make them feel any better about executing a man._

_Everyone drew their wands almost at lightening speed and were turning this way and that looking for any sign of the attacker while a few kept theirs trained on Dung._

_"I hope the rest of you now understand the importance of following orders." The Death Eaters certainly didn't like the man's tone but with at least one man, and more than likely more, hidden in the trees that wouldn't hesitate to kill kept them from acting foolishly._

_Thankfully Moody was just as surprised by the sudden activation of the wards as Tonks was, giving her time to try to fight off the effects of his curse enough so that she could continue, though she doubted that she could continue much longer. However when Remus reentered the fight she was having a hard time keeping up mentally but physically she was making very few mistakes. A blessing in disguise arrived when most of the Order members in the castle came charging out to investigate the disturbance in the wards. Those on foot would take some time to reach them but it appeared that at least half a dozen were mounted on brooms and they would arrive much, much sooner. _

_Once again Tonks was using both wands to fend off and attack the two men as she cast a sharp eye to where Dumbledore was making his way to his feet, wand in hand. She tried to get Moody out of the way but her exhaustion, both physical and magical, prevented her from finding an opening. Soon she had more than just Moody, Remus and the newly recovered Dumbledore to guard against as several curses hit her shield. Looking out towards the lake she cursed loudly as the six mounted Order members were baring down on her. In a last ditch effort she took several steps back before casting several explosion hexes at the ground between herself and her opponents. The dirt and dust kicked up clouded everyone's view for several long moments until the air was swept clean with a weary wave of Dumbledore's wand. Everyone looked around franticly but could find no trace of their attacker. _

_When Tonks began firing her hexes Dung sharply told the Death Eaters to make their way back to the clearing their portkey had brought them to and activate it once again. Afraid of meeting the same fate as McNair, they did so without question. Dung remained for a few moments after their departure until Tonks came stumbling into the forest, coughing and wheezing from all the dust. Clearly she had not been thinking straight since she could have simply activated her portkey to escape so Dung got a firm hold on her before activating his own._

MMM

After viewing this memory they also viewed one from Snape and Steven, showing their different points of view of the attack against the Unspeakable's safe house and also Harry's and Bill's. After everyone shook off their surprise at how well Tonks had preformed given the extreme circumstances the biggest reaction was to Bill's parting comments to Voldemort that elicited loud laughs and cheers, though he did admit that he was ready to throw up at the site of his open chest.

Looking around the room he saw satisfied looks on all those present although John was looking a little pale. Harry came to the obvious conclusion that he must have been the one that had killed the Death Eater. They all knew that John would have no problem whatsoever killing a man in battle but this was different. The man posed no threat to them at the time and he was too shocked at the activated wards to even raise his wand in defense. Sighing to himself Harry stood up and walked over to the liquor cabinet to pour the man a drink, he looked like he could use it. As an after thought he also opened a silver box and pulled out a cigar for himself. He had been meaning to try one sometime and he thought he deserved a treat.

John looked grateful when Harry handed him the glass but that quickly passed as he, along with everyone else looked at Harry in shock as he lit up the cigar with the end of his wand. At first it tasted very sharp and bitter but then there was a bit of sweetness to it. He couldn't really pick out the exact flavor but he decided that he actually enjoyed it. He had no intention of inhaling the smoke; he had never smoked before so he had no desire to end up in a coughing fit. Besides, if he got in that habit it could shorten his wind and that would certainly become a problem in a prolonged fight.

"What?" He asked as he looked around to find everyone staring at him.

"Harry if your not careful no one will think you're their golden boy anymore." Dung chuckled as he puffed on his own pipe. A few others laughed at this but the majority just put the matter out of their minds, if he wanted to smoke a cigar that was his business. Harry grunted in annoyance at the reference to everyone's image of him, or rather their image of what he should be. When he retook his seat on the couch beside Tonks she immediately reached up and plucked the cigar from his mouth.

"Thanks Harry, I haven't had one of these for some time." She said sweetly as she popped the end in her mouth. When she had first taken it Harry had thought that she intended to throw it away, not wanting him to smell or taste like an ashtray. After her words had sunk in he could only look at her with wide eyes as she grinned impishly at him. He was snapped out of his stupor when a few people began laughing at his ridiculous facial expression.

"Thief!" He muttered halfheartedly as he stood back up to get himself another one. Just as he was turning back to return to his seat a sudden burst of flames announced the arrival of a familiar red and gold phoenix. By now everyone was used to his fiery entrances and for the most part they paid him no mind.

"Fawkes old boy," Harry cried happily. "Care to give me a light?" He asked as he held out his cigar. The glare Fawkes sent him clearly told him to shut up, which he smartly did. Only then did he notice that the bird was perched atop a box, a rather large box. Fawkes continued to just stare at him for a moment before inclined his head and picked up a note that was atop the box. Harry carefully reached out to take the note wary of the irritated bird after which Fawkes vanished once more.

_Harry_

_You must be the only one to touch or open this box. It has some pretty nasty hexes on it incase it was intercepted somehow. I'm sure you and your colleagues will find the contents most helpful._

_Albus_

Harry looked at the note and glanced at the box in confusion and curiosity. On the other hand he was hesitant due to the hexes. While Albus said he alone could open he didn't relish the thought of the Headmaster possibly making a mistake in his spell casting. He quickly told the others what was going on but asked Bill to come and check it out.

"I don't recognize the spell but whatever it's purpose is it **is**keyed specifically to you."

"You're a lot of help Bill." Harry replied sarcastically as he continued to eye the box uneasily.

"Well," Steven began as he stood up. "While Harry works up his courage to find out what the big bad Headmaster sent him lets recap our day. We attacked and burned down an empty old house where we supposedly killed nearly thirty highly trained government agents. Thanks to Bill, Harry got his ass kicked before he delivered a stunning blow to Voldemort's pride. The lovely Tonks gave three of the Order's most powerful wizards the beating of their life and as a whole we humiliated and degraded the Death Eaters and their master and they were all too intimidated to respond. Finally, a supposedly dead nearly seven hundred year old wizard manages to find our base looking not a day older than thirty. I think today we have seen it all." As if on cue a sudden snap and a surge of magic behind them drew their attention.

"And I stand happily corrected." Steven laughed loudly along with everyone else as they looked at a very pissed off Harry Potter. It would seem the 'hexes' placed on the box were not for protection as the Headmaster said but were instead specifically for Harry himself. Standing there with a face like a thundercloud was Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world, in a very tight not to mention revealing French maid's outfit. Tonks, Marietta, Blaise and Susan were particularly loud with their wolf whistles. Harry looked about ready to snap angrily at those laughing but suddenly hissed as the outfit rubbed painfully against his wounded side. Using his wand to cut away the fabric with irritating the injury further he ripped the top half of the dress off so that he was only wearing a very, very short and frilly skirt. After taking a few deep breaths Harry ignored all those around him as he walked out of the room to get changed while plotting his revenge against Albus and most certainly Remus.

MMM

Fifteen minutes later Harry walked down the stairs with his own Battlerobes on once again but to avoid irritation the buckles were undone and his right arm hung free and wore no shirt, exposing his entire right side. As he reentered the sitting room he was sure that another round of laughing would immediately begin but was surprised when everyone was quite serious and speaking to each other rapidly. The thing that stood out in his mind, and rightfully so, was that everyone's green robes were now silver. When he noticed Harry enter Bill walked up to him and handed him what appeared to be a set of muggle leaf mail armor. It was surprisingly light and in the general style of their battlerobes though it didn't open in the front and had no buckles. It was made up of numerous shell shaped pieces that were held together on a background of firm yet flexible fabric.

"What is this?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Albus sent them over to use to disguise our battlerobes for when were acting as the Raiders so that people like Voldemort or some of his inner circle or even some people at the Ministry wont see through the concealment charms and see our robes for what they truly are. The last thing we need is to be arrested for being Voldemort's allies or the Dark Lord making the connection and setting a trap for us." Snape explained with his customary sneer though it didn't hold the same malice that it did months before.

"You just put it on over your robes and tap it with your wand and it will mold itself against them. To take it off you just tap it with your wand again and say 'Evisero'. Apparently their made up of scales from a Chinese Fireball that had been coated with magically reinforced titanium. It adds a little weight but it doesn't take away from the maneuverability and it adds more protection which is always good. Your going to have to pull it over your head at first but after you tap it with your wand it will take the form of your robes so that you can still open it up to keep from hurting yourself further." Bill added. Harry draped the new armor over the back of the nearest chair before he slowly pulled his robes all the way on. Tonks came over and help him pull it on but almost as soon as it was over his head he quickly used his wand to mold it to his robes so that he could open them up again. It the maid's outfit made his cut uncomfortable the dragon hide made it torture.

"So when's the meeting?" Harry asked after letting out a sigh as he opened his robes. The added weight wasn't much but it would take some getting used to.

"Twenty minutes. The portkey Albus sent will take us right outside the doors." James Patterson replied as he passed him the letter that had been in the box. Harry only glanced at it figuring they had given him the necessary information before he sat down and lit his cigar with no plans to move again until the portkey to Hogwarts activated. Blaise had invited Nicholas to travel to the school with them but he declined before leaving to get some things in order before seeing Albus.

MMM

At that same moment the mood at Hogwarts was nothing short of frantic. The idea that one single individual could best not only Dumbledore but also Remus Lupin and 'Mad Eye' Moody at once was simply unthinkable. Though they would have liked to put their colleague's fears at ease those that knew the truth was well aware of the fact that they had to see this through. While Dumbledore would like to think that every member of the Order was loyal he knew that Voldemort could possibly find someway to learn the Order's secrets and if he were to learn this it would certainly be disastrous.

Ever since the attack on the Headmaster had ended members of the Order and Ministry personnel alike had been flocking to the school to ascertain what had happened and the three men were mobbed before they were even cleared by Madam Pomfrey. Unfortunately with many of them came the news that the Unspeakables had also been attacked, none were believed to have survived. This bit of news was almost as shocking as the attack on Hogwarts grounds and only added to the tense atmosphere.

The students involved with the Order were sitting in the Great Hall taking an early lunch with Hermione's parents since they didn't know how long the meeting would last but none of them had much of an appetite so they just sat in silence. As luck would have it Hermione's parents had been visiting her that very morning and though they were thrilled to see her and hear about all she had learned, not to mention seeing her perform magic for the first time, they were greatly shocked and frightened about the reality of the war that Hermione had tried to sugarcoat in fear that her parents would want her to leave Hogwarts for her own safety. Dumbledore had invited them to sit in on the meeting since their daughter was involved and he hoped that they would be able to notice strange occurrences in the muggle world that he would over look.

"Come on, we better get going so we're not late." Neville said quietly as he got to his feet and the others had followed without question. Most were surprised when Neville assumed a leadership role over the younger members of the Order when Harry left and after he was proven innocent even Hermione and Ron began to defer to him. The role as well as his training with Moody and their team had done wonders for the boy's confidence and he was almost unrecognizable from the frightened boy he was when he first came to Hogwarts. After Harry found out about Neville's parents in his fourth year he suspected that his clumsy and timid nature wasn't due to his fear of flying, Malfoy or even Snape but rather a fear of ending up like his parents if he ever stood out enough or was seen as a threat to Voldemort or others like him. Thankfully, whatever the reason behind it, that fear now seemed completely gone and he seemed to remind Albus and Moody of a young Bill Weasley.

As they were filing out of the hall they suddenly stopped when the front doors opened with a bang and a VERY pissed off Harry Potter strode through. Neville and everyone else felt their jaws drop at the sight of him. It was not only his anger or his ruffed up appearance or the cigar smoking in his hand but also the gleaming silver robes he was wearing with half of them hanging off his side exposing a rather painful looking gash as well as the fact that Snape, Tonks, Blaise and Dung were not the only ones with him but more than a dozen others all with similar robes and magical shields concealing their identities. As they watched the group cross the entrance hall they couldn't help but feel a little intimidated at the power the group projected but Neville pushed this from his mind as his friend got closer.

"Harry, are you alright, did they get you to?" He asked calmly as he looked at the gash on his side. Harry stopped suddenly and looked at Neville as if he didn't see him before he spoke up.

"What do you mean, did they get me to? Who else has been attacked?" He asked urgently as the other Raiders looked on with just as much interest.

"Albus, Remus and Alister were also attacked."

"Is everyone alright?" Snape shouted with wide eyes. Neville seemed to hesitate for a moment but Harry couldn't tell if it was a lingering fear of Snape or he was uncomfortable or shocked about what he was about to say.

"Come on Neville, I have to know what I'm walking into here." Harry hated lying to his friends but it was necessary.

"Everyone here is fine but the Unspeakables were also attacked. Apparently their top agents were gathering for a routine meeting and were ambushed. Twenty seven in total are dead."

"Twenty seven?" Tonks asked in shock which was mirrored by everyone else, well those that weren't concealed. Everyone stood in silence for several moments until Ginny stepped forward with concern all over her face.

"Harry all you alright, maybe you should have Madam Pomfrey look at that." Harry blinked stupidly before looking down and seeing his bare chest and abdomen.

"Oh, no I already had it checked out. All I have to do is keep from aggravating it." He said as he gently poked his side a few times. Thinking she had restrained herself long enough Ginny stepped forward and gave him a tight hug making sure to stay away from his injury. Tonks shot a jealous glare at her for a moment but Ginny saw it and winked at her before stepping back and wrapped an arm around Neville's waste. Harry looked at the two with a slack jaw before he laughed and shook Neville's hand. With the mood lightened somewhat Luna also gave Harry a hug and he greeted the others but made a point of ignoring Ron and Hermione. An action that confused her parents since they thought that their daughter was good friends with the boy. Snape being his usual snarky self oh so gently urged them to finish up their meaningless small talk and hurry up so they could get the meeting started.

"So what happened to your glasses?" Hannah asked as they made their way to the second floor girl's bathroom. Harry was briefly surprised by the question but quickly recovered.

"I used a correction potion to fix my eyesight. I would look pretty ridiculous wearing glasses with only one eye besides glasses could fall off, be broken or even summoned during a fight so it was best to get rid of them." The rest of the trip was made in silence but they met others on their way though Harry didn't know any of them very well. When they reached their destination Hermione was the first to enter the bathroom and so it was convenient and amusing enough to leave her to open the passage. She came up short when she came to her target and began looking around at everyone else. Most were grinning madly at her just waiting for her to say it. When her eyes fell of Tonks the young metamorphmagus diverted her eyes obviously and began to whistle.

"Raiders sacked Hogwarts." She growled out before swiftly moving on with the chuckles of those behind her echoing through the restroom. Apparently Hermione didn't approve of the password anymore than McGonagall did. When they entered the main chamber Harry was surprised at how many people were present. The only full Order meeting he had been too was the one they 'interrupted' when they stole a few books from the library and at the time he wasn't exactly in the mood to count heads so he wasn't sure how large the Order actually was and he felt stupid for never thinking to ask Snape, Dung or Tonks. But looking at the nearly two hundred people in the room he had a hard time believing that they were all members.

"Dumbledore invited many of the Ministry officials that were here after the attack to attend the meeting although they were forbidden from knowing the location of the chamber or the password." Luna explained after seeing Harry's face. Harry just nodded as he made his way to the front where Dumbledore was standing with several others. On impulse Snape and Tonks stepped up to walk side by side with him while the others formed up in three single file lines behind them. They all felt it was very important to show a powerful front to the people in this room.

The vast majority of those present were already seated in what appeared to be their own designated areas, different teams being grouped together, but those still standing were quick to scurry out of their way. Everyone's attention turned to them and regarded them with many different expressions. Some with awe, some, such as Mrs. Weasley, with concern and even some hostile glares were sent their way. But the most predominate feeling seemed to be fear which caused Harry to snorted in disgust.

"Harry." Albus said in surprise as he took in the younger man's appearance drawing in what little attention that wasn't already on them.

"Albus, you look like hell." Harry said in concern though it took effort to keep from smirking.

"Well you don't exactly look like of basket of fruit yourself." Albus replied defensively but the customary twinkle in his eye was at an all time high. Harry lips twitched slightly as he looked down his wounded chest and the numerous other minor bruises and scrapes on his arms and no doubt on his face. Dumbledore had raised an eyebrow but chose to ignore the cigars both Harry and Tonks were smoking for the time being since several others in the crowd were already smoking from their pipes "Harry if you and your colleagues will take a seat over here so that we can get started." With a brief nod Harry led his men over to the side slightly where chairs had been set up for them running along the side wall just to the right off where Dumbledore and the other Order leaders, including Snape, Harry, Tonks, and Blaise, would be seated facing the large crowd.

"Now that everyone is here we might as well get started." Albus began as he stood up to face the people in front of him. Those that had not done so already took this as their cue to sit down and shut up. "As you can see there is a great many more people here than normal because I invited them to attend in the hopes of that our different groups could pull our resources together and establish the cooperation we need to possess if we are to defeat Lord Voldemort. I would like to apologize for the short notice regarding this meeting but due to recent events it was necessary." For the next three quarters of an hour Albus went in to detail about his attack and Moody and Remus also contributed their perspectives as well. Those that had not already heard the stories as well as many of those that had were in shock. Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard in the world, couldn't beat a single woman even though he had the help of two other wizards. The added news about the Unspeakables was almost as unsettling.

"Preliminary scans around the area picked up only two unknown magical signatures. There could have been more that were just not using magic since examination of the bodies revealed that two Unspeakables had suffered broken necks. We also picked up faint traces of magic on a nearby hilltop leading us to believe that either that was the attacker's point of arrival or someone was observing from that position. As of now we have yet to find any witnesses or any piece of physical evidence that could lead us to the perpetrators. To be perfectly honest I have never seen such a clean crime scene before. These men are obviously professionals that are not accustomed to making mistakes." Madam Bones gave her report to the assembled before retaking her seat with the other Ministry personnel.

The room stilled suddenly when Dung stormed in with an extremely serious and grim expression clouding about him. Not bothering to pay attention to all those staring at him he approached the front of the chamber where he came to a stop in front of Harry and Snape. Without muttering a word he handed Harry a long piece of parchment before sitting down with the rest of the Raiders. Although technically he was still part of the Order's leadership he seemed to prefer there company over those that he felt, and rightfully so, betrayed him and his friends.

Everyone watched silently as Harry read over the parchment with his face becoming more and more expressionless with each word he read. When he was finished he passed it to Snape who seemed to be studying it more intently than Harry had himself but like Harry his expression told everyone plainly that whatever was written on that page was not good news.

"Harry, would you care to tell us what happened to you this morning?" Shaking himself slightly to get back on track, Albus finally asked as he pointedly looked at his side. At first Harry looked about ready to just ignore the question but after heaving a heavy sigh he answered.

"I went into London to pick up a few things when I was hit with another one of those damn portkey tags and found myself in front of the ruins of my family's old house. At first I didn't see much of anything until I saw Malfoy, Lestrange, Wormtail and Tommy boy standing not that far away. That would be Lord Voldemort to us lesser mortals." He stopped to explain after seeing the confuse looks he was getting at mentioning 'Tommy'. "Just call him Tommy, it will piss him off and you'll live a happier life."

"Potter!" Snape nearly yelled in annoyance.

"What? Oh, right. Anyway I saw the four of them standing there so I drew my wand and started walking towards them…"

"Wait, wait, wait." A member of the Ministry interrupted loudly as he stood up. "You actually went out to meet them? What the hell for?" Harry looked at the man as if he were stupid while everyone was looking at him as if he were insane.

"Let's say that you had a mortal enemy, or in this case, four of them and you suddenly found yourself in the same area. What would be your purpose for confronting them." He responded coolly. His answer only served to reinforce everyone's belief that he was crazy, after all, who in their right mind would willing attack the Dark Lord and three members of his inner circle at once. "Now, can I please continue uninterrupted? Anyway, I didn't get more than a few yards before someone off in another direction attacked me. Like the woman that attacked Albus, he was wearing green battlerobes and had his face covered with some kind of magical shield."

"What happened then Harry?" Dumbledore asked quietly. Harry looked at him strangely for a moment. Did he really need to ask that question?

"Well for the next ten minutes or so the man seemed to take great amusement in seeing me in pain. He was about to kill me when Tommy interfered. I was able to blast him with an explosion curse before I portkeyed out. He was quite surprised and from what I could tell, in a great deal of pain." Harry finished with a very large grin.

"You seem awfully calm about how you fared in that fight." A Snotty looking Order member named Samuel Chapman sneered as he eyed Harry suspiciously. Harry didn't know him very well; he just knew that he achieved some measure of respect throughout the Order and Ministry alike though his more extreme views held him back in certain circles. Although he was dead set against Death Eaters he was a supporter of withdrawing even further from the muggle world and limiting the number of muggle born students that were accepted into Hogwarts.

"I can appreciate a good ass kicking when I get it. What's your point?"

"My point is this, how do we know that you are not working for this man or with the Dark Lord? I think it has been well proven that these men are extremely skilled fighters and yet you managed to escape, even with the Dark Lord and several members of his inner circle present as well. Everyone knows that you and your Raiders are nothing more than thieves and murders yourselves." Many people throughout the room gasped loudly at the accusation but Harry just stared the man down with hard eyes.

"I find it pathetic how someone who was raised in the magical world could be so ignorant of its laws and customs." Harry said with a smirk. Everyone, Dumbledore and the Raiders included, looked very confused by this seemingly unrelated statement. In fact only Dung seemed to realize what Harry was thinking. "I suggest you sit down and keep your mouth shut unless you want to become one of my so called victims."

"Are you threatening me, you insolent whelp?"

"Oh, no, that was no threat. You should know by now that issuing unfounded accusations such as yours can have extreme repercussions in the magical world. In fact I am well within my rights to challenge you to a duel, a duel in which anything goes. You would be both legally and magically bound to accept my challenge." Harry explained with a malicious grin on his face. Chapman went pale pretty fast as he staggered back several feet. "Over the last year and especially over the last few months most of the people in this room have been accusing me of one hideous crime after another, even some of my so called fiends. I have suffered and lost too much to that _thing _already. Make no mistake about it, and this is your only warning, you most certainly do not want me for an enemy. If any of you **ever **dares question my loyalty again I will not hesitate to issue those challenges where needed. It won't matter if you're the Minister of Magic, a former friend," He growled as he glanced over to where Ron and Hermione were sitting before looking intently at Albus. "Or even Headmaster of Hogwarts, it will all end the same way. With you lying six feet under in a pine box." With that said Harry stalked out of the chamber with rage practically oozing out of every pore. Those closest to him cringed back suddenly when a wave of power seemed wash over them as he passed.

Dumbledore was extremely worried that in his anger he might lose control of his magic but he also knew that he shouldn't be the one to speak to Harry at this time. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tonks, Blaise and a few other Raiders jump to their feet but held them back. Molly Weasley was also preparing to leave but Arthur calmly told her to stay put while he spoke with Albus. Now wasn't exactly the time for Harry to be coddled and they both knew it. After a few minutes discussing the situation in hushed whispers Arthur asked Hagrid to find Harry if he could and talk to him.

"Now that everyone is more or less calm, I think we need to discuss potential safeguards against the Dark Lord's inevitable response." Snape spoke up after everyone was settled once again after Potter's latest temper tantrum. Although even Snape had to agree that it was well justified. At first it was amusing how scared these people were after Harry left but now it was just venturing into the realm of the ridiculous.

"What response are you talking about?" Fred and George asked at once. Snape clenched his teeth tightly in the hopes that he could prevent himself from lashing out at not only their idiotic Gryffindor thinking but also that annoying habit of theirs.

"We've been digging for any information we could find since Potter managed to escape but since we only had roughly half an hour it isn't complete. From what we could gather the man that attacked Potter is the leader of the Dark Lord's newest allies and for the most part he chooses to remain nameless however he has used the name Acerbus Grim and most likely several others simply for the sake of simplicity. He has fifteen very capable fighters at his disposal but judging by what they have achieved today I think it is a forgone conclusion that we shouldn't under estimate them because of their small numbers. And as much as the Dark Lord would like to try these men cannot be broken to follow him. They follow this Acerbus Grim and no one else.

"The attacks today had two purposes. One, it was a way of showing the Dark Lord that they were completely serious in their offer of cooperation for mutual benefit although we don't yet know what he expects in return. The second purpose was the attack on the Hogwarts grounds. The woman that attacked Albus was not yet a full member of this group but rather a recruit. Defeating Albus was her initiation into this little club." As expected, the people around him reacted the exact same way the Death Eaters had, Albus included since he wasn't told this particular detail which certainly wouldn't help his reputation any. Looking at everyone's faces you could easily tell that they were trying to figure out if they had heard him right or not.

"Also the body of a Death Eater, Walden McNair to be exact, was found just inside the wards protecting the school's grounds making it almost a definite possibility that he was the one that tripped the wards. There were others from the inner circle present as well as with the attack on Potter. I'm not entirely sure about the other though."

"I can speak to that." Jeffrey Stevens interrupted as he stood up. "I'm not entirely sure about the details concerning Mr. Potter as of yet but at the site where my Unspeakables were massacred our sweeping teams came across a large pocket of magical residue on a hilltop overlooking the area. One of our theories was that the spot was used and an arrival point but now that you suggested the possibility it does sound more realistic that Death Eaters had occupied that hill. If these men were to become Voldemort's allies he would surely want to see how they work as well as make sure he wasn't being misled." Snape nodded to the man politely as he sat back down without his customary arrogant scowl. Stevens was not the type of man you wanted to annoy too much and Snape was not a stupid man.

"Thank you. Now I can only assume that they were under strict orders not to interfere. McNair disobeyed that order and was killed for it but fortunately not before he set of the wards. Chances are that if he hadn't this meeting would be three men short." Snape finished as he nodded towards Albus, Remus and 'Mad Eye'. Many within the room visibly cringed at the possibility of losing Dumbledore.

"You got all that information in half an hour? How?" Professor Flitwick squeaked loudly from his position next to Remus.

"Spend a little time in the shadier parts of town and you'll pick up a few tricks and, if you're lucky, make a few friends." Dung answered evasively.

"But you still haven't explained what you meant by Who-Know-Who's response?" Fred asked again. Surprisingly George kept his mouth shut this time.

"Haven't you been paying attention?" Blaise asked in a clipped tone. "There were three attacks today but only one worked out perfectly. The attack on the Headmaster failed because McNair set off the school's wards and the attack on Harry failed because the Dark Lord himself interfered. Because of those failures Voldemort and his Death Eaters now look like incompetent fools in the eyes of their allies, even some of the other Death Eaters. The situation will be entirely unacceptable to the Dark Lord. He is going to have to take some kind of action soon that will make him look and feel like he is the one in control."

MMM

(AN: For this part I'm being lazy so I'm not going to sit here and right out Hagrid's accent. It could give you a headache just thinking about doing it so I'm not going to.)

Harry stepped outside on to the school grounds and just stood there with his eyes closed as he took several deep breaths to try and calm down but it didn't seem to be working. Who the hell were they to question him? What had he ever done to warrant such suspicions? Granted, the man was partially right although he didn't know it. Yes he was now 'affiliated' with the Dark Lord but certainly not for the reasons they would suspect. But of course they had no knowledge of that and if everything went to plan they never would.

"You alright there Harry?" Harry sighed deeply at the sound of the familiar voice and the concern dripping from each word. He certainly didn't want company right now but he couldn't bring himself to simply brush Hagrid off. "Come on, we'll go on down to my place and have a nice cup of tea." Hagrid continued as he placed a reassuring hand on the young man's shoulder.

"I was thinking of something a bit stronger actually." Harry said as he chuckled humorlessly.

"I think that can be arranged, I like to stiffen up my tea now and then myself. Don't be telling anyone though. I got something I wanted to show you anyhow." His anger momentarily forgotten, Harry looked up at his oldest friend with curiosity and maybe a little fear at what beast he may have procured this time. While it was a possibility that he may want to show him a new chair or a rock collection the chance was pretty small so Harry was going to go with claws and teeth.

The walk to Hagrid's cabin was made in silence but Harry couldn't help cracking a smile when Fang saw them and nearly bowled him over in his excitement. After Hagrid managed to pull the large boarhound off of him he led Harry inside where he sank gratefully into one of the overly large armchair near the cold fireplace as Hagrid set about preparing something to drink. Looking around he was happy to see that little had changed since the last time he had last visited the man's home which made him feel slightly guilty about not making time to keep in touch with the man that had shown him nothing but kindness.

"Here you go. Now you go light on that mind you." Hagrid's voice jarred Harry out of his thoughts as he passed him a very large tea cup. Harry nodded his thanks as he took a small sip, shivering slightly at the overpowering taste of firewhiskey mixed in with the tea. He had no love for the type of liquor but he felt he needed something to help calm down a bit before he began thinking about what to do next. Hagrid sat down in the chair opposite Harry with his own cup while he looked at the younger man's seemingly lost expression with concern.

"Harry, you shouldn't let men like Chapman push your buttons like that. They're full of nothing but hot air."

"It's not about him. Well, not just about him." Harry sighed as he tried to think how to put his thoughts into words. "I just can't help thinking that I am surrounded by people that are just looking for an excuse to turn on me once the right situation arises."

"Harry, you know that isn't true. There are many people that care about you. You have many friends right here that think the world of you."

"Do I? Hagrid most of my so called friends laughed in my face and called me a lunatic for trying to convince everyone that Voldemort had returned. Then they, along with my 'best' friends, turned against me again after we escaped the Death Eaters." Harry's rage was starting to rise once again and that magic radiating off of him was almost tangible. Hagrid knew that if he didn't calm the young man quickly he could suffer some form of magical backlash.

"About Ron and Hermione, Harry, they only…"

"I know why they did it." Harry snapped as he cut his friend off. "I'm pretty sure Ron didn't know what to think until it was announced that I was innocent. From his perspective he had just lost his best friend and so he certainly wasn't going to do anything that would jeopardize his relationship with Hermione as well.

"Hermione on the other hand is different. From what I have been told she accepted the Ministry's word on the matter almost immediately so I figure that she heard some of the facts and jumped to the wrong conclusions before she had the full picture in mind. I may dislike her at the moment but if I know one thing about her it is that she is not stupid, she can read between the lines and though she may not come up with the right answer she could certainly discard the wrong ones. The reason she stuck with her belief in my guilt was because she had already shot off at the mouth and committed herself too that belief and didn't want to appear indecisive by changing her mind. Unless you gave her undeniable evidence that she was wrong she would not change her stance and even then it may be hard. Now while that obviously pisses me off that is a small issue in comparison. What really has me bothered is that even after she began having her doubts she wouldn't let up. She continued to try to turn people against us. It was largely the belief of my friends in the charges that eventually turned many of those against us. We would have been given the Dementor's Kiss if we had been caught, that is a certainty. She would have helped send four innocent people, one of her best friends, to a fate worse than death simply because of her pride so please, I'm asking you as a friend, don't try to defend them to me. Ron I may be able to forgive at some point but I can't imagine having any form of relationship with Hermione again." Harry practically pleaded as he looked his friend in the eye.

"Fair enough." Hagrid replied sadly after he looked down to stare into the cup in his hand. The two lapsed into silence as they sipped at their drinks and thought through the events of the day. While Harry's thought centered more on where he was to go form here Hagrid had more pressing worries considering he didn't know that the person that was able to gain access to Hogwarts without detection wasn't really an enemy.

"So how did your trip to France go?" Harry's voice broke through the silence after he felt that the silence had gone of for too long and had become uncomfortable. Hagrid looked momentarily surprised at the sudden question but answered quickly nonetheless.

"As good as can be expected I suppose. It is becoming clearer every day that the Giants will not side with us but they don't appear to discuss options with the Dark Lord either which is certainly good news." He replied seriously causing Harry to laugh slightly.

"That's not what I meant. I meant, how is Grawp settling in." He reiterated while chuckling slightly.

"Oh he's doing just fine. Madam Maxine promised to look in on him from time to time to make sure he's alright in case I couldn't get out there. I would prefer to have him here where I could look after him but this isn't the right environment for him." Hagrid looked like he was ready to cry until his eyes went wide and he jumped to his feet with a strangled cry.

"What, what's wrong?" Harry shouted in alarm as he too stood up. With out answering Hagrid stepped over to a cabinet that a normal sized man would need a ladder to reach. From where he stood Harry couldn't make out what he was doing but when his friend turned around with what appeared to be nothing more than a bundle of leather his alarm turned to annoyance and curiosity.

"What the hell did you do that for? You nearly gave me a heart attack when you jumped up like that."

"What? Oh, sorry 'bout that but talk of my trip to France reminded me of this little guy." He smiled as he held out the leather bundle. At hearing 'little guy' Harry's attention focused on the man's hands and he had to fight the urge to slowly back out of the door before he began to run as fast as he could. Harry loved the man a great deal but his idea of cute and cuddly creatures was actually quite terrifying.

"This is one of the reasons I wanted to speak with you." Taking his seat once more Hagrid gingerly began unwrapping the thick cloth until a large black egg roughly the size of small watermelon was revealed.

"Um, Hagrid, that's not another dragon egg is it?" Harry asked nervously although he his curiosity was quickly overpowering his fear at what may lay within the shell.

"No, course not. This here is the egg of an Eadoch." He explained with excitement before he noticed Harry's confusion. "It's a breed of snake."

"I've never heard of that breed before, I don't think so at least."

"Not many have. They're frightfully rare and deadly to boot. They're always as black as night with bright blue markings on the skin but the most interesting thing is that they have wings. For the most part they are wrapped so tightly around their bodies that if you didn't know what to look for you wouldn't even know that they were there." Hagrid continued to explain everything he knew about the creatures in a loving tone as he carefully held the egg. Harry was actually quite surprised and thought that it was a shame that the man couldn't seem to find the confidence to use his knowledge effectively with the large groups during his classes. Hopefully he will find that confidence soon now that he won't have Draco Malfoy and some of the other Slytherin goons disrupting his class and trying their hardest to make him look like an idiot.

"The reason I wanted to show you this Harry is because I wanted to give you this egg for your birthday. Snakes are dead useful creatures, and smart to. I think it would make a very good companion for you and since you are a parselmouth it will be legal for you to keep it and hopefully you will be able to bond with it. After all, every great wizard needs a familiar." He grinned as he passed the egg to Harry. Without hesitating, he took the egg carefully and looked at it with a soft expression when something came to mind. Looking back up, he regarded Hagrid with suspicion.

"Not that I don't appreciate the gift or anything but I know you well enough to know that you would never part with a rare creature voluntarily and what did you mean when you said it would be legal for me to keep him?"

"Well Harry, there are certain animals around the world that are highly illegal to buy, sell, or transport. While most are strictly hands off some of them could be kept if the person had some 'confirmed' way of controlling the beast. Being able to speak parseltongue meets that requirement with some forms of illegal serpents."

"Ok I understand that but why are you giving it to me now?" Hagrid looked a bit hesitant at first but decided to be completely truthful.

"Because of some of my 'projects' over the last few years the Ministry decided that it would be wise to keep an eye on me for a while to make sure I didn't get into any trouble."

"And you expect them anytime now to search your hut and the grounds for any sign of illegal animals in the area." Harry finished for him causing the half giant to smile slightly. Hagrid appeared to be about set to continue the conversation when a light knock sounded on the door. Almost unconsciously Harry hid the egg in his robes in case that was the Ministry personnel sent to search Hagrid's place. Apparently he could legally keep the snake but Harry wasn't going to take any chances until he looked into it himself and even then he may want to keep the information to himself for the time being.

"Ah, how are you doing Arthur?" Hagrid boomed loudly as he opened the door.

"Sorry to bother you like this Hagrid but the Headmaster needs to see Harry about an urgent matter." Mr. Weasley explained in a solemn tone.

"It's no bother at all, we were just finishing up here." After taking a few deep breaths Harry stood up to leave hopefully ready for whatever Albus had up his sleeve this time. With a quick good bye to Hagrid and promises to visit again soon, Harry stepped outside with Arthur to walk back up to the school.

"Harry, I've been meaning to get into contact with you for some time now." Arthur began somewhat hesitant. Harry stopped and looked at the man closely. While he looked the same as always there was a deep underlining worry about him. Taking out his phoenix wand he cast several privacy charms around the both of them before nodding to him to continue. "I was hoping to arrange for Bill to visit Molly sometime soon. Harry, please don't…" Arthur continued as Harry looked at him sharply firmly intending to play ignorant. "I'm not a stupid man Harry. I know perfectly well that Bill never went back to Egypt but rather that he is working with you. Under normal circumstances I would never want him to risk whatever cover story he is using but with all of our children except Percy involved with the Order, or some other venture, Molly has been a nervous wreck almost constantly. She needs reassurances that he is alright, even if it is misleading." Harry fought with himself over this for several minutes. On the one hand Bill leaving the country was not an abnormal occurrence so both the Order and the Raiders had been counting on their enemies being none the wiser about his true location but if he were to be seen someone might decide to look a little closer and that would most certainly cause problems. Traveling from Egypt to England was not something you did just to have a visit with your mother. Getting permission for inter-national portkeys took a while to arrange and even if he went through Gringotts the goblins would charge him an arm and a leg to expedite the process and their charge would be an amount no Weasley could pay.

On the other hand Molly Weasley was the closest thing to a real mother he had ever known and he would do anything to make sure that she had at least some peace of mind. If seeing and talking to Bill would make her feel better than that was what she was going to get.

"Alright, I'll try to come up with some agreement with the goblins to leave a paper trail in Egypt. Unfortunately we'll have to go a bit further incase someone sees him here. It shouldn't be impossible unless Voldemort has someone watching the different curse breakers in the area but since they're scattered all over North Africa and the Middle East he would need an army to monitor everything going on. But now that we have that settled I have a question I wanted to ask you. How long have you been an Unspeakable?" Arthur stared at the young man in front of him with a nearly blank expression. He just could not picture this being the same Harry Potter he had first met four years ago. The way he immediately began thinking of how to make his request happen, not to mention how to go about covering his tracks more thoroughly than the Order had been doing over the last year, was nothing short of astonishing. This train of thought seemed utterly depress him. Harry should be worried about school or girls and every other small and insignificant issues that young men deal with not about running his own small part of a larger war that could erupt into an age of terror at any moment. It was not until Harry finished speaking that he seemed to realize what the young man had actually asked.

"What?" He asked with a puzzled look about him.

"Please allow me to echo your own words, 'I am not a stupid man'. Actually Snape is the one that isn't stupid, this was merely a theory he had been kicking around for nearly a year but Albus seemed to confirm his suspicions just recently." He said cheekily as he watched Arthur for any sign of emotion but found nothing but confusion. 'This man is good'. He thought to himself happily. "He thought, and the rest of us agreed, that Dumbledore placing you in charge of the Order's information network was an obvious indication that you had other talents that you carefully hid away from the rest of the world especially since the janitor's office probably gets more worthwhile information than the Department for Misuse of Muggle Artifacts."

"Harry that is all pure speculation. I handle those intelligence reports because I have friends in the right places." Arthur replied without hesitation but he could see that Harry wasn't buying it.

"And enemies in those right places as well. But the thing that clinched the idea for me was when I started thinking about your rather large family. Sadly the Ministry isn't known for its generosity unless of course you work in a more prestigious department and I'm afraid that where priorities are concerned you are on the bottom rung of the totem pole as the expression goes. So we figured one of two explanations, the first is that you are corrupt and have been stealing to provide for your family but I know you pretty well and you don't seem the type. The second is that you had taken a second job and seeing as you already work for the Ministry it would have been relatively easy to incorporate you into the Department of Mysteries. Unless, of course, you originally took that job in MoMA because you were already approached by Stevens and advised to take a normal low ranking position that would allow you to remain inconspicuous. This would certainly explain how you have been able to keep food on the table by dipping into your Unspeakable pay just enough to get by while the rest sits in a Gringotts vault where it continues to grow in preparation for your retirement. I can tell that you want to deny Snape's theory but the fact that you have more or less remained silent during this 'ridiculous' discussion shows that he was at least awfully close in his assessment."

"Nineteen. I've been with the department for nineteen years." Arthur sighed as he looked around to make sure no one was near by just incase someone could listen through Harry's wards. "What is it that you want exactly? You aren't the type of person to bring something like this up unless you had something on your mind."

"I would like your help. Bill and Snape are fine instructors where dueling is concerned but the Department of Mysteries have developed and perfected advanced dueling techniques that they will not allow to be taught to anyone outside of the department. That won't be a problem since, technically at least, we are now working for Stevens. And they train their agents in ways even Bill or Snape would never understand unless they experience it first hand. Not to mention any other knowledge you could provide to help us hone our skills in other areas as well, such as surveillance and interrogation."

"What will I be required to do, specifically?" He asked curiously after thinking over Harry's proposal for a few minutes. Dueling and surveillance would be easy to train others in, especially if they already had a firm background in the field. Interrogation however would be tricky. Most people would simply feed their prisoner a bit of Veritaserum and question him and that would be it. Most people seem to forget that while under the potions effects the prisoner could only answer questions that they had definite answers to. Sometimes you could gain more information through a man's own theories and ideas than their facts and those had to be retrieved the old fashioned way.

"Snape advised me to offer you the same deal I made with Bill. You will be there primarily as a trainer and instructor, possibly even give us some tactical advice now and then but if you wished to take a more active role you would, of course, be most welcome to do so. Since the majority of our dueling training takes place for three hours in the mornings and a couple sessions a day during weekends so you will still have time to work at the Ministry and with the Order if you wish. I'm not going to expect an answer right away so feel free to take all the time you need and send word to me through Fawkes but no matter what your answer is I would appreciate it if you didn't mention it to anyone, not even Albus." After Lowering his privacy wards Harry walked back into the school and headed towards the large stone gargoyle that guarded Albus' office while Arthur continued to stand on the Hogwarts grounds in deep thought as he weighed his options.

Without even giving the password the gargoyle jumped aside to grant him entrance to the Headmaster's office that lay at the top of the winding stone staircase. Harry didn't give this action much thought considering Albus knew he was coming so he just figured that the old man had instructed it to allow Harry access when he arrived. As he reached the top of the staircase he decided that now would be a good time to put out what was left of his cigar since he was sure the Albus would not appreciate him smoking in his office. Closing his eyes tight for a brief moment Harry tried to think of anything that could potentially be said in this meeting. Nicholas Flamel said in no uncertain terms that it was going to be big but as of yet he had no clue about what it could be. After calming himself as best he could he reached for the door and pushed it silently open without even knocking.

The office had obviously been expanded to accommodate the large crowd that was gathered inside. All those that had known of their plans were present, except Griphook, even Harry's _parents _and his little brother. As he stepped inside everyone's attention was momentarily turned to him before they settled themselves for the discussion that was about to take place. Looking around he spotted Madam Bones talking quietly to Mad Eye and Harry knew that now was as good a time as any.

"Sorry Albus but I need to postpone this little powwow for just a few more minutes. Madam Bones, could I speak with you for a moment?" Everyone, with the exception of the Raiders looked confused, but looking into the faces of those few that seemed to know what was going on Amelia became nervous when even Snape of all people were looking at her with concern. Shaking off this feeling she rose from her seat and stepped outside the office with Harry closing the door behind her.

"Madam Bones…"

"Harry, please call me Amelia."

"Alright Amelia, one of the reasons I asked you to come out here is because we felt it was only right to inform you that Susan has joined our group. Normally I would have asked your permission before allowing her to do anything but she felt that you would be much more receptive to the idea if she were to get some experience and a lot of training behind her first so that she could show you that she could handle herself in such situations." The entire time Harry spoke Amelia just stared at him with an emotionless look about her that threw him off guard. He fully expected her to blow up at him immediately.

"So Susan has been fighting Death Eaters while she was supposed to remain safe?" She finally asked with hard eyes after a few minutes of silence. "And I'm supposed to just take your word for it that she has the skills she needs to survive?"

"No. She has not been fighting Death Eaters. The only times she has left my house with the other Raiders was on low risk ventures such as the raid on Hogwarts when she stayed by my side the whole time under an invisibility cloak. She served as a lookout for the two men we had working on the wards at the Parkinson home and finally during our actions today she was at Snape's side the entire time when they burned out the house that was supposedly full of Unspeakables. That is the extent of her involvement thus far. And no, I don't expect you to simply take my word for it. That is why I planned on inviting you to stop by tomorrow afternoon when you can actually see what she has learned and judge for yourself."

"And if I don't agree that she is ready?"

"Then that will be the end of it." Harry answered immediately. "She will be able to keep training if she wishes and later if you are satisfied than she will be welcome to help out." He explained honestly and hoped that the woman wouldn't simply right off the idea entirely.

"What has me upset Harry, is not simply the fact that she has been doing this but rather the fact that I asked you to take her in for her protection and you have allowed her to do this behind my back." Harry was trying to think of something to say but he had to admit that he felt bad because of the disappointment in the woman's face. "Who is training her?" Harry was momentarily caught off guard by the question but felt a little bit a relief that she was actually thinking about the possibility.

"Snape and a curse breaker that is with us is running our training program at the moment but I'm trying to convince an Unspeakable to join us as well since he has nearly twenty years of experience with the department's style of training."

"What's his name?" She asked, fully intending to look into the man's credentials.

"Sorry I can't tell you that. For one thing if he does chose to join us then his identity will remain hidden from everyone outside of our group. And for another reason he supposedly died this morning." Harry finished with a grin at her shock. The fact that her niece might be trained by one of the department's top agents seems to have clinched the idea for her and she agreed that she would see how Susan was doing before she made her decision.

"What was the other reason you wished to speak with me?" Harry froze up for just a brief moment at the question but Amelia noticed it and came to the conclusion that this was far more important than Susan's training. Taking a deep breath Harry steeled himself for her inevitable reaction.

"The other reason is that the evening that we raided Hogwarts and kidnapped Stevens we also discovered something completely unrelated to events occurring today."

"And what would that be?" She asked in confusion. Whatever it was she couldn't understand why Harry would be so nervous about it but she didn't have long to wait.

"We found out exactly what happened to your brother and his wife." He said quickly and held his breath as he waited for her reaction. Amelia face drained of all color as she processed his words as she seemed to have lost all control of her body as her muscles as she stood there completely rigid. "I'm sorry to say that they were indeed killed." Harry continued in a quite voice. At these words her body went slack and she collapsed to the floor crying. Despite being missing for over fourteen years she, as Susan had done, had held out hope that they were still alive however unlikely the chance. Harry's words had killed that hope.

"You knew, you knew for almost a month now and you said nothing?" She asked as she looked up at Harry with red eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I, I couldn't. every time I thought about the situation I felt nothing but anger so great that I could kill the two people directly responsible for putting Susan's parents in that position and not feel an once of remorse for doing it. Every time I see them I want nothing more than to see them in pain far greater than their actions have caused others."

"You've seen them? The monsters that killed my family and you did nothing?" Amelia screamed as she stood back up and looked at Harry with rage shining in her eyes.

"They didn't kill them. They merely put them in Voldemort's path out of stupidity and fear. I know how you must feel, believe me when I say that the anger you feel now is only a fraction of that I feel…"

"HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY KNOW HOW I FEEL?"

"You certainly deserve an answer so I will just tell you." For the next ten minutes Harry went into every detail involved with James and Lily Potter's ignorant and, in his opinion, cowardly decision to run. Amelia looked at him through wide eyes the entire time he talked and Harry could see the rage in her rising as he told his story.

"Who knows about this?" Amelia demanded immediately after Harry finished.

"The Raiders of course, as well as Albus, Remus, Alister and Minerva."

"Why hasn't anyone said anything?"

"Because I asked them not to. Actually I told them in no uncertain terms that they would deeply regret it if they didn't keep it to themselves. I couldn't care less about those bastards that call themselves my parents but if Voldemort found out my little brothers and sister would also become targets and I will do almost anything to keep that from happening. So please, when we go back in there, don't say or do anything until Stevens is gone." It took a few more minutes of convincing but she finally agreed and tried to compose herself as best she could before going back inside. While Harry ignored the two hooded figures standing in the corner as he sat down next to Tonks, Amelia stood in the doorway for a moment and shot the two a truly deadly glare that caused the two the shiver involuntarily. She wasn't the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for nothing. However Harry noticed something that he had overlooked when he first entered to get Amelia.

"Now that we are all present we can go over…"

"I think we all know what happened today already Albus so there is really no point in dissecting every action until we find out Voldemort's and the Death Eaters' reaction. However I am very curious about what you have to tell me that caused you to cast unbreakable and protection charms on everything in your office as a precaution." Harry said as he looked at the old man with suspicion. Those charms were certainly not in place before and his reaction when Albus told him about the first prophecy led him to believe that the Headmaster expected a repeat performance.

Harry had informed the Raiders of the contents of both prophecies some time ago and they were all greatly amused by his actions in nearly destroying Dumbledore's office when he was first told after the incident in the Department of Mysteries. Being the Deputy Headmistress Minerva knew of Harry's actions but was confused about what he had been told that had caused it. Everyone else in the room were deeply confused by Harry's words and why Albus would take such measures to protect his possessions.

"Harry, maybe we should speak about this in private." Albus began uncomfortably as his right hand instinctively moved to rest atop a thick leather bound book that rested on his desk.

"Why? My colleagues already know about everything else and I'm sure I would just tell them this at some point anyway. And though I may not trust everyone in this room," He said as he glanced at his parents. "I know that everyone here is firmly against Voldemort. So why don't you just go ahead and tell me." Albus sighed quietly and nodded his agreement but before he could utter a word most people gasped and jumped slightly when a grinning Nicholas Flamel suddenly appeared directly behind the old mage. Albus looked confused at their reactions for a brief moment before Nicholas suddenly grabbed him from behind and pulled his out of his chair.

"Albus my boy!" He cried happily as he hugged the Headmaster while everyone just looked on dumbfounded. This quickly turned to shock when the near immortal sat down in Albus' chair and pulled him onto his lap before shoving a rather large lollipop into his mouth as he bounced him on his knee. Dumbledore's shock quickly wore off and turned to annoyance as he simply crossed his arms and waited for the older man to finish with his customary greeting. Harry snapped out of his shock when he noticed a camera sitting on a nearby shelve and discreetly summoned it to him. A quick check showed that it was indeed loaded.

"Oh this is just too good." He laughed happily as he pointed it at the scene in front of him. His words brought Albus' angry eyes to him just as he was snapping a picture. Jumping back to his feet Albus drew his wand to retrieve the camera and destroy the picture but Harry had anticipated the move and quickly banished it away to a safe location.

"Mr. Potter, if you know what is good for you, you will return that camera and any film immediately." The Headmaster growled causing Harry to laugh even harder.

"Sorry Albus, I'll return it as soon as I can have that picture developed. That shot will be priceless. Besides after your little charm work earlier I owe you." Harry said with a grin before looking over at Remus with a predatory look. Remus didn't seem the least bit fazed by the glare and his eyes were clearly inviting Harry to try his best.

"Come now Albus. Surely you aren't embarrassed by your old grandfather." Nicholas said with mock sadness.

"You're his grandfather?" Tonks asked in surprise.

"Well actually I'm his great great great great great great great great great great great great…"

"Alright we get the point." Harry interrupted as he massaged his temples. "Now that we are all here maybe we could find out what you were so enthusiastic about hearing Albus explain?"

"What? You're supposed to be dead, when did you speak with Harry?" Albus demanded in confusion. Whether he was confused about how he was alive, when he spoke with Harry, how he found Harry, or how he knew that he was planning on explaining this today he didn't know. But Harry had a hunch that it was a combination of the whole lot. After explaining once again how he was alive Nick prodded Albus in the ribs and told him to start explaining. With a loud grunt he plopped back down into his chair like a petulant child and picked the aforementioned book up.

"What I wished to speak with you about is the final line of the prophecy that Blaise found in the Chamber of Secrets." He said and ignored the confusion of those that did not know about it.

"Yeah, _and with the love and the aid of the Brides he shall emerge victorious,_ or some such rubbish like that." Harry said after thinking about it.

"Uh yeah, that one!" Albus said uncomfortably. "Maybe you should just read this Harry." He said as he passed the book over. Harry took it and felt a strong sense of foreboding. The book was _'Legends and Myths of Hogwarts' _ and he opened the book to the marked page. The caption at the top of the first page read _'The Brides of Hogwarts'. _Without reading further he snapped the book closed again with a very bad feeling that he knew where this was going. With a flick of his wrist he tossed the book back on to the desk in front of him.

"Why don't you just give me the highlights?" He asked as he cocked his head to the side and almost dared the Headmaster to confirm his suspicions. The look in Harry's eyes left him tongue tied for a moment much to Nick's amusement and everyone else's confusion as they wondered what Harry had read. "Spit it out already." Seeing that Albus looked to be no nearer to working up the courage Nick decided to have a little fun and explain himself but he became a little flustered as well when the young man focused on him.

"Well, um, Harry, you see that particular legend has been around for almost nine hundred years now." He began after smacking Albus on the back of his head for putting him in this position. "According to the rumors at the time it was started while Rowena Ravenclaw was on her deathbed. She was the last of the Founders so her emanate death brought a lot of mourners to Hogwarts. Everyone knows of Ravenclaw's ability as a seer but supposedly as she lay dying she gave a warning for the future that was unlike any of her previous predictions. Normally she would go into a trance speak words that were not her own and then wake up with no recollection of what had happened. This time however she was very much awake and lucid and instead of the annoying poetic drivel that seers usually spout she instead told a story. A story she seemed to see taking place before her very eyes."

"What was this story about?" Snape asked in annoyance. He of course respected the abilities of a true seer but he was certainly no fan of divination and this struck him as nothing more than one of thousands of those ridiculous stories invented by older Hogwarts students to either impress or scare their younger school mates.

"Think of the history of magical Britain over the last thirty years. That is the story she told." Albus told them bluntly.

"That is absurd. There has never been any documentation of any sort of predictions made in that manner. And how do we know that that legend is truly as old as that book claims. For all we know it could be just a few years old." Harry tried to hold in a chuckle as he heard Susan speak her mind. Though she wasn't a fanatical about it she enjoyed divination just as much as Lavender and Parvati. At hearing the sound of a younger woman's voice nearly everyone turned to her while they tried to figure out who she was and a few tried to remember where they had heard that voice before.

"You are correct of course. Nothing of this kind has ever been heard of before. This is the only instance known of this nature. But your feelings regarding the authenticity of the book are unfounded. While it is perfectly conceivable that someone could create such a tale and claim it to be far older than it truly is that is not the case here. This legend is truly nine hundred years old. And as for the book itself it is over five hundred years old. I know because I wrote it."

"YOU wrote it?" Albus demanded loudly as he looked scandalized at some of the more ludicrous things the man had written about. "You actually wrote all that drivel?"

"Of course. While many of the myths have proven to be true and others have been around for nearly as long as Hogwarts herself I found myself lacking decent material for a full length book so I had to indulge myself a bit and invented new ones of my own. It was actually quite difficult." Everyone just looked at the man and now that they knew of his connection with Albus they could clearly see were Aberforth's personality came from.

"Alright enough about the book and the way story came out. What does it say?" Harry asked irritably.

"Well like I said before, it describes our resent history. From the even harsher restrictions on magical creatures by the Ministry, rampant political corruption, even to the rise of _the Heir _and _the Lion._ I'm working off the assumption that that means you and Voldemort."

"Oh shit!" Harry sighed as he leaned forward and placed his head into his hands. "Sought after since birth the Lion will meet the Heir at every turn and the mark of the storm shall be his banner." Harry muttered to himself but it was just loud enough for everyone to hear him. Everyone but the Raiders and Dumbledore looked at him in surprise.

"Um, Harry," Remus started carefully. When Harry looked up at him he continued. "Err, do you remember what you just said?" The young man in question just looked at the Marauder as if he were stupid while those that knew of the prophecy found that to be the funniest thing they have heard all day.

"I'm not a seer Remus, that was one of the lines in a prophecy that Ravenclaw gave."

"Really, I've never heard of that one." Nick said quietly as he tried to think of anything he may have missed.

"That's because it was only heard by Salazar Slytherin and the only record he made of it he placed within the Chamber of Secrets for his heir to find. Thankfully Tom must have been to enthusiastic about finding the Basilisk to do any real looking around before Moaning Myrtle was killed and had to keep the Chamber locked up since he pinned the attack on Hagrid."

"Ok, so what does that mean?" Tonks asked in confusion.

"It means that the story is at least partially genuine. Nobody except Slytherin himself knew about Ravenclaw's prophecy and her labeling of _The Heir _and _The Lion._ And it is just to improbable that someone else could come up with this story and claim that it came from Ravenclaw, using terms that no one alive knew she had used, in the same context as well. Not to mention an account of our own history that seemed to be accurate enough to get these two eggheads attention. So now that everyone is caught up can we please get to the point the two of you seem to be too intimidated to tell me?"

"Alright, the point is this," Albus seemed to catch on to the fact that Harry was getting very annoyed with the staling so he took a deep breath and hoped for the best. "According to the legend of _The Brides of Hogwarts, _the_ Lion, _in this case you, has to destroy the _Heir, _in this case Voldemort."

"Nothing new there, moving on,"

"Yes Harry I was getting to that. But to defeat Voldemort it says you have to get married." Nick said real fast before holding his breath. Harry just looked at him with his eyes and mouth wide open.

"To four witches." Albus added. That was enough for Harry. He did the only thing he could think of doing at the moment. He promptly leaned forward and fell to the floor in a dead faint but no one seemed to notice as they were still staring at the two old men in shock.

"Hmm, he took that much better than I thought he would, but it wasn't nearly as funny." Nick commented but Albus just shook his head sadly and told him to wait. After a few moments Tonks noticed Harry lying on the floor and jumped out off the couch, where she had been sitting next to him, to see if he was alright. After doing a few scans with her wand she quickly revived him much to Albus' displeasure. He was clearly hoping for more time before he awoke.

For a moment he looked a bit dazed and confused. Not knowing where he was, what was going on or why he was lying on the floor. Tonks helped him to his feet and sat him back down. As he sat there he looked around the room to see everyone looking at him and the memories of just a few short moments ago came back like a flash. After quickly checking to see that he didn't crush the egg Hagrid had given him he turned blazing eyes to the two old men before him.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MARRIED?" He roared. Everyone jumped back and Nick's and Albus' eyes went as wide as dinner plates and their faces went slightly pale at the magical power that had been in his voice. "Answer me damn it!" He demanded in a harsh whisper.

"Well, ah, Harry, it isn't actual marriage by today's standards you see. Back during the time of the Founders wizarding marriage was not done by ceremonies and the exchanging of vows but rather merely taking a potion." When Nick said this only Snape seemed to realize where they were going and his mouth dropped open.

"A potion?" Harry asked in a much calmer and more controlled voice, and he wasn't the only one. Tonks as well seemed to calm a great deal as well and those that didn't know about her relationship with Harry took notice.

"Yes Harry. One of the key ingredients is a few drops of blood from each person and that establishes a sort of bond between the two of them. Or in this case it would be the five of you. As the potion works your minds would exchange knowledge and experience as well as set up a kind of empathic connection. Also you would be able to share power. What I mean by that is that if one of you is in some kind of confrontation and you are magically drained you can temporarily connect with the others magical core to sustain you until you could get away." Albus explained and was quite pleased that Harry seemed to be claming down.

"Wouldn't that be dangerous, taking magic from another?"

"In some cases it would indeed be very dangerous even fatal. But with such connections there are safeguards that will stop the flow of power long before any damage is done. According to the legend the four women are to come from the four different houses of Hogwarts with the _Lion_ being a combination of all four. And Harry you could certainly find a home in any of the houses if you put your mind to it. The idea behind this is to integrate every specific trait that the Founders prized into every member of this bond and it will be this connection and the emotions shared between you that will ultimately defeat Voldemort." Harry sat for several moments and thought over the information he had just been given. Something like this could certainly go a long way to helping him defeat Tom for good but it also raised some questions.

"What's the catch?"

"What do you mean Harry?" Blaise asked, to her it sounded like the ideal solution to counteract Voldemort's superior experience.

"What I mean is this. If this potion does everything you say it does why didn't you suggest it sooner? I mean if I had all of your knowledge and could draw power from you I could leave right know, kill Tom and be back in time for dinner. So why don't you take this potion with me?" Snape began coughing uncontrollably, Nick started laughing hysterically and Albus looked a bit ill.

"Absolutely not!" Albus nearly shouted in a strained voice as he cringed at the very idea. That certainly confirmed Harry's belief that there was something else he had not yet been told. "You see Harry, after taking the potion, while the exchange of knowledge is going on, the people involved have to to, ah."

"Have to what?" Albus said nothing but rather looked at Nick for support.

"You mount the women son." He said bluntly as he rolled his eyes at Albus.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Tonks shouted and echoed Albus' words as jumped to her feet once again. Those that didn't know about their relationship were astounded by Tonks' actions and they quickly put two and two together and were surprised at the pairing. Most would have thought Harry would be with Blaise given that they were the same age but as they thought about it McGonagall, Moody and even Stevens realized that they were actually quite compatible. Lily however was incensed at the very idea. She had known her parents and knew that Tonks was seven years older than Harry and even the idea of Harry having a sex life at his age bothered her.

"WHAT DO THE TWO OF YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" She shouted as she took several steps towards the two. Everyone was surprised that she had actually spoken since neither her or her husband did during such meetings and those that knew who she was were shocked and angered by her audacity. "You are seven years older than him and he is still just a boy. What kind of pervert are you to go around seducing schoolchildren?" Many of those in the room were angered by her outburst and were prepared to say something but they all stopped themselves when Harry stood up and slowly turned towards her.

"Stevens, this is not open to debate. Before you leave here you WILL be placed under several security charms." Although his voice was quite no one missed the finality in his words. Jeffrey just nodded while he was trying to figure out what was being said that would warrant one from him and not the others.

"Take off your hood, both of you!" Their survival instincts told them that they should ignore the order but they found that their bodies weren't listening as their arms pulled back the hoods that hid their faces. When Stevens got a look at their faces he gasped loudly but still had the presence of mind to notice that no one else seemed to be shocked at all. Harry looked at the faces of his parents for just a brief moment before he got to the point.

"You of all people have no business whatsoever telling me what I should and should not do. You didn't seem to give a damn about me for the last fourteen years so I will be damned if I allow either of you to dictate any aspect of my life. You show up here after I lived a life of pure hell and you think you suddenly have the right to decided who I will and wont have a relationship with? Well you can both go fuck yourselves. The only reason the two of you are still alive is because I will not rob Jacob or the twins of their parents as you so easily did to me and to Susan. But if you ever speak another ill word of Tonks again and question her morality as you just did I will make you wish that I would kill you. Do I make myself clear?" The entire time Harry spoke his voice was as calm and even as if he were merely having some inconsequential discussion but the power in his voice and the fire in his eyes told James and Lily plainly that they were not dealing with an ordinary sixteen year old Hogwarts student. Before either of his parents could reply a sudden alarm echoed loudly throughout the office.

"What the hell is that?" Harry demanded as he looked at Albus. That alarm was much different than the one that went off when McNair crossed the wards to the school but it sounded no less important.

"The wards surrounding you relatives home are under attack." Albus replied as he scurried about the room making preparations.

"And let me guess. Because my _mother_ was not the one that died to protect me, the wards are nowhere near as powerful as you and even Voldemort believed them to be?"

"That would be correct, unfortunately."

"Ah. Let them burn!" Was all Harry said as he plopped back down into his chair. Everyone turned to look at him in shock at his attitude. "Apparently none of you have actually gotten to know the Dursleys." Harry chuckled to himself. "Fine, lets go. Do you have a portkey." He grumbled after Albus just continued to stare at him.

"No, but Fawkes can use his fireflight abilities with up to four passengers."

"Alright I'll go with Fawkes with Tonks and Snape. Sorry old boy but I'm recruiting you for the afternoon, your coming with us as well." Harry said as he looked at Stevens while he put his battlerobes on properly after discreetly hiding his snake egg behind many knick knacks on a very cluttered shelf. "Albus you take whoever else wants to come and floo over to Mrs. Figg's house and meet us there. Go through the back, Death Eaters are so obtuse that they will be concentrating primarily on the front of the house with a few watching the back. We will finish discussing this when we get back!" Harry told Albus sternly after fighting a losing battle against the pain in his side as it rubbed up against his robes. The old man sighed, he had hoped that the sudden excitement would have pushed the situation out of his mind for a short time but apparently that was not to be.

"And if Voldemort is there?" Amelia asked with concern.

"He won't be, I messed him up pretty bad this morning so he will be trying to recover as quickly as he can and that means conserving his magical and physical strength. But if he is there I'll deal with him myself while the rest of you deal with any of his lackeys. Let's go." Tonks, Snape and Stevens immediately came forward and joined hands with Harry while Fawkes landed on his shoulder. Albus and the rest of the Raiders were rushing to his office fireplace. After a momentary pause Lily decided to join Albus as well and James was right behind her.

"We ride with kings on mighty steeds, across the Devil's plain." Stevens muttered to himself and everyone looked at him in confusion before the small group vanished in a blast of crimson fire. Leaving only Madam Bones, Minerva and Jacob in the office to wait anxiously for them to return.

TBC


	25. Retaliation

**AN:** Sorry, I lied, this isn't the last chapter. There will be one more that will be posted after I finish the fifth chapter of 'To End All Wars'. Oh, yeah, and sorry for the wait.

**THE NEW ORDER**

**By**

**Padfootjr24**

**Chapter Twenty Five: Retaliation **

As everyone that had met them could tell you,the Dursleys prided themselves as being a normal law-abiding family. That is one of that major reasons they were so happy now that it seemed that their nephew, Harry Potter, was gone and wasn't going to come back. In truth they were a little surprised when he seemed to disappear without leaving word of his departure but the fact of the matter was that they couldn't possibly care less where he was or even if he was still alive.

For the most part their daily lives didn't divert very much from what they used to be. Vernon still enjoyed to yell at his many employees while taking time to savor the elation he felt when he fired at least two a week. With Harry gone Petunia felt that her sister and her freakish ways were finally out of her life forever. The only thing they were sorry about was that he wasn't around for Vernon and Dudley to push around anymore.

Vernon had decided to leave work early today and the Dursleys were currently sitting around the kitchen table eating a late lunch when a sudden loud chime echoed loudly throughout their home. Petunia jumped out of her chair in fright while Vernon nearly choked on the chicken leg he had stuffed into his mouth. Dudley's reaction however was far more amusing. The diet that Smeltings had insisted he adhere to was obviously having no effect as he was now nearly the size of his father. Startled by the unexpected noise caused him to jump slightly in his chair which seemed to have been too much for the finely crafted wooden furniture to handle and it splintered in several places sending the large bully crashing to the floor.

"What was that?" Dudley asked frightfully as he tried to climb to his feet as quickly as possible. As sudden as the noise had come another quickly followed only much louder and accompanied by what felt like a small earthquake. The two elder Dursleys quickly joined their son on the floor and backed against the countertop for some measure of cover in case someone charged in ready to attack them. Although they had rarely witnessed magic firsthand they had no doubts that the strange noises and shaking were the result of such unnaturalness. Unfortunately for them they didn't realize that the noise came as a result of an attack on the wards protecting their home and the violent shaking announced that said wards had failed.

"Vernon, what do we do?" Petunia asked in a frightened tone as several curses were fired through the kitchen window, the shattered glass falling to the floor. Vernon jumped slightly at the sudden intrusion of words into his already panicking mind and he turned his head to look at his wife so fast that his neck cracked loudly and for a brief moment a look of blissful relief showed on his face before the fear returned. As he took note of her question he quickly realized that he had no real answer to give.

"Wait here." Surprising even himself, he tried to avoid the broken glass as he crawled into the hallway where he could get a relatively good view through the windows into the back yard. Once through the kitchen he climbed back to his feet and pressed himself into the alcove just outside the kitchen doors, well, he pressed as much of himself as he could into the alcove. We're dealing with limited space here.

What he saw as he peered out the window was not reassuring in the least. He could see three figures, all dressed in black 'freakish' clothes and some kind of masks that sort of look like the faces of human skulls. Knowing that all this noise and activity couldn't possibly go undetected, he hoped that the freaks would be concentrating on the back of the house so he might be able to find a way out trough the front. After all, if someone were committing a crime they would hardly do it where they would be in plain sight of an entire neighborhood.

Slowly creeping down the small hallway step by step Vernon couldn't help but thinking about how this attack had happened or why it was taking place. He knew that there were people that sought to harm his nephew but if they were competent in the least they would have known that he hadn't been in his home in two months. Then again the people attacking could very well be the ones that wanted to protect Potter, the ones that threatened him with harm if anything happened to the boy while he was in his care. Shaking his head vigorously in a halfhearted attempt to banish these thoughts he poked his head around the corner and gasped as his face turned pale.

Outside in the street he could clearly see almost a dozen other men and he was pretty sure that there were others that simply weren't in his line of sight. Everyone of them were just standing about doing nothing thus far as they seemed to just stare at the house in front of them or chat quietly with the person next to them. They had them vastly out numbered as well as unarmed so what were they waiting for. Vernon was pulled out of his confusion when he heard his wife scream and his son whimper from the kitchen. Spinning around he looked back down the hall and saw three unknown individuals and a familiar shock of pink hair and his fear and confusion quickly gave way to rage.

MMM

Petunia suddenly looked up from her position on the floor when she heard what sounded like a loud rush of water. She gasped loudly when she spotted four people standing in her kitchen that certainly weren't there just a moment ago. All of them had their 'sticks' in their hands. The one closest to her was an older man, probably in his mid to late seventies but judging by his posture and calm demeanor she figured that he was much more formidable than people would give credit to one of his age. The man standing on his left was a very sour looking man. He was tall and thin with pale skin and black greasy looking hair. Petunia shuddered slightly as she looked at his dark eyes as he gazed out the window. This was definitely not a pleasant man.

She did however recognize the third individual. She couldn't possible forget the ridiculous short crop of pink hair that belonged to one of the freaks that had threatened her and her husband. Although she was sure that she had never met the final person he still seemed somewhat familiar somehow but she just couldn't seem to put her finger on it at the moment. He was about average in height with black hair that just barely reached his shoulders. But his face was one she would never forget. The fact that he was obviously missing an eye was one reason and the jagged scars that marred his face showed that he was no stranger to pain. On his shoulder was perhaps the most beautiful bird she had ever seen in her life but the fact that it was clearly 'unnatural' took something away from it.

"What are you doing down there?" Harry asked in a slightly amused tone as he looked down at his aunt and didn't flinch a bit as two curses sped through the now broken window and missed his head by mere inches. Harry was a bit surprised when she looked at him in fright for a moment before screaming loudly, Dudley moaned in panic as well although it sounded more like some barnyard animal than a human. The sudden influx of noise succeeded in gaining Vernon's attention. Looking through the kitchen door, Harry saw his uncle eyeing Tonks with anger and loathing as he seemed to pay little to no attention to the three others that were with her.

"I think he remembers you, Tonks." Harry chuckled for a brief moment before stepping back out his uncle's sight and moving towards the doorway. Tonks stood with an impassive look as she watched the large man lumber towards her with shear hatred in his eyes.

After casting a small shield charm over his right hand Harry waited for the last possible moment before making his move. Just before Vernon entered the doorway Harry planted his right foot and used it to push forward as fast as he could as he swung his fist right into his uncle's path. His knuckles connected right in between the man's eyes. With his body weight moving one direction while Harry's punch moved another his head and upper body was thrown back some but since his feet were moving forward he had nothing to keep his balance and he toppled to the ground. Whether it was the punch or the back of his head hitting the floor that did it, Harry didn't know or care, but Vernon seemed to be out cold.

"You know, you could have just stunned him." Tonks commented with a smirk.

"True, but this was a lot more satisfying." Harry replied as he released the shield on his hand before turning towards his aunt and cousin that who were looking at him in terror. Without saying a word both Snape and Stevens left the kitchen to place some wards and charms on the front door and windows. They wouldn't be able to hold the Death Eaters off for long but it should buy them enough time for Albus to get there.

"Now, listen very carefully. We are here to protect you from the men outside so you will do exactly as I say when I say it, is that clear?" Petunia just nodded silently as she pulled Dudley, who was pale and shaking, to her chest as she stroked his flabby cheek. Harry chuckled softly to himself as he turned away from them. Despite his change in appearance he was just a little surprised that they hadn't recognized him. He simply couldn't wait to see their reactions when they found out that it was him.

"Anything yet?" Harry asked Tonks who was keeping an eye on the Death Eaters that were watching the back yard.

"Nothing. I don't think they saw us arrive and it looks like their only reason for being there is to prevent escape. Firing those curses in through the window let the Dursleys know that they were out there so that they would stay inside."

"That doesn't make any sense at all." Harry started in confusion. "If they tried to escape out the back they would be easily captured and they wouldn't have to waste time on a frontal assault so why would they want to prevent that?"

"I don't know but it looks like that is exactly what they are doing. Apparently they're hoping that the Dursleys will put up some kind of fight to make it more interesting. That means a violent attack and an even more brutal death. It's either that or these Death Eaters are just stupid." Knowing the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters like he did Harry couldn't really decide which of Tonks' ideas had the most merit so he certainly wasn't going to rule out stupidity.

"The front is sealed up pretty good, it will take at least ten minutes for them to get through." Stevens informed them when he reentered the kitchen ahead of Snape. Harry glanced out the back window wondering what was taking Albus so long when he suddenly felt like smacking himself upside the head for his stupidity.

"_Dung where are you?" _He spoke into his portkey. Stevens looked at him curiously, wondering what he was doing.

"_We're moving along the fences of the homes right behind your relative's. We should have the Death Eaters taken care of in a few minutes. Your family wouldn't happen to have anything worth drinking would they?" _Dung's voice echoed back although Harry, Tonks and Snape were the only ones to hear it.

"_Not unless you like cheap brandy." _Harry replied as he picked up a bottle that was sitting atop the china cabinet and smelled it. _"And I mean real cheap. You couldn't even start a decent fire with this stuff." _Despite her fear of the situation Petunia looked greatly insulted at Harry's remarks.

"Well when you have a liquor cabinet like yours Harry you can afford to be choosy. Not to mention all that stuff stockpiled in your cellar." Tonks said with a smile. Thinking back to the meeting they just had with Dumbledore she had a feeling that she was going to need a serious drink.

"Harry?" Petunia asked quietly in confusion though she was saying it more to herself then anyone else. Seeing the perfect opportunity Harry couldn't resist.

"Yes Aunt Petunia." He spoke up sweetly as he grinned at his mother's sister. Petunia looked confused for a moment before she finally caught on. She gasped loudly as she brought her hands up to her mouth and looked at him with wide eyes. Dudley of course looked as confused and stupid as ever. Obviously knowing what had her so shocked Harry simply smirked slightly as he wave to the right side of his face.

"The price of fame and fortune I'm afraid. But I would say it was worth it, given the alternative, although I still miss my right eye something fierce from time to time." Tonks slapped him playfully on the shoulder as she tried to keep from laughing. Snape just shook his head in despair at being associated with such childishness. "How's it going Dudders?" Harry said happily as he took in his cousin but that happiness quickly turned to confusion. "That diet just doesn't seem to be holding does it?" He asked curiously as he leaned down to poke the boy's belly. That was too much for Tonks and she nearly fell to the floor laughing even Stevens looked like he was enjoying the interaction and although he would never admit it to anyone Snape would be smirking if it wasn't for his pride.

"Harry?" Dudley asked stupidly in a shaky voice. Harry and Tonks looked down at the boy in bewilderment. Did it actually take him that long to figure it out?

"Apparently his diet isn't the only thing that's slipping." He muttered to himself before turning away to go check on the Death Eaters up front.

"Ms. Tonks, if I may ask, how is it that Mr. Potter was able to communicate so easily with the others?" Stevens asked curiously. Tonks and Snape looked at each other for a brief moment before they both shrugged and she explained their portkeys to him in a whisper so that Petunia and Dudley couldn't hear her.

Harry stayed in the small hallway and just leaned slightly into the sitting room where he could see out the window. He chuckled slightly when he saw many of the Death Eaters throwing curse after curse at the windows. Apparently none of them had any knowledge about wards. They just tried to overcome them with power. While that will eventually work it is hardly subtle and it takes away a great deal of your magical energy. Shaking his head in disgust at such ignorance he turned away to rejoin the others with a plan.

"I've got an idea!" He said as he reentered the kitchen. Tonks suddenly looked at him sharply and Snape seemed to grow tired. Stevens of course was interested but was confused by the others reaction.

"Potter every time you get an idea it turns into some monster that you couldn't possibly hope to control." Snape sighed wearily.

"Hey, everyone of my 'monster ideas' have so far worked out just fine. And besides this is nothing like that. All I was going to do was suggest we take either one of three possible courses of actions."

"And they would be?" Snape asked as he massaged the sides of his head.

"Option one: When Albus and the others get here we simply use our portkeys and Fawkes to leave. Option two: We wait for the Death Eaters to enter the house and ambush them. I don't really recommend this one due to the risks as opposed to option three. Option three: The others will neutralize the Death Eaters out back and we take them for questioning while leaving a trap here to kill the others that will come in the front." Snape and Tonks weren't all that surprised but Stevens was a bit shocked to hear him talk of killing with so little emotion.

"What sort of trap?" Tonks asked with interest.

"Simple. When they brake through the charms and enter the house they will fan out and look for anyone to torture and kill. We simply put a few time delayed charms about the house and after they are all inside the house will seal up, locking them in. After that we can go about it any number of ways. We can burn the house down, collapse it, suck all the air out, take your pick."

"THIS IS MY HOUSE, YOU WILL NOT…" Petunia's screeching was quickly cut off as Harry cast a silencing charm on her.

"Petunia, you would gladly watch all of us die a slow painful death if it meant nothing in this house was harmed, so I'm afraid your opinion on the matter means absolutely nothing. Besides, you have insurance that will pay for any losses."

"It's an interesting idea, if not a bit barbaric. But these are Death Eaters we are dealing with, we will never get anywhere if we're not prepared to get our hands dirty." Stevens commented after thinking it over for a moment. "If I might make a suggestion," Harry nodded for him to continue. "I would suggest collapsing the house. It will certainly take care of the problem without imposing too much risk to the surrounding homes." Stevens set about laying out the appropriate charms where needed since Harry, Snape an Tonks had neither the knowledge or experience with such things, something they were planning on correcting as soon as possible. Not but two minutes later Dung casually walked in the back door with the others close behind him.

"Those Death Eaters are now sitting in our holding cells, where's that brandy?" Dung asked in an upbeat tone. Harry looked at the man oddly for a moment before reaching behind himself and picking the bottle up before tossing it to the old drunk. Twisting the cap off he wasted no time and took a quick gulp. "You want some?" He asked as he held the bottle back out to Harry.

"No thank you," He raised his hand and responded immediately with a slight shake of his head. "I'll wait until we get back to my place. That stuff smells like mold wine that's been pissed out by a yak."

"Colorful." Snape sneered as many of the others looked a bit sick at the description.

"You just have a prejudice against liquor that was bottled less than three hundred years ago. You know you really should stop being such a bigot." Dung snapped back in mock anger as he held the bottle tenderly as if its feelings were hurt.

"As, um, enlightening, as this line of conversation is, we do have other business to conduct." Albus spoke up while looking between the two in bewilderment as he wondered if they were always so, playful, with enemies so close by. "What happened to him?" He asked as he pointed down to Vernon's still body.

"He ran into my fist." Harry answered simply before he filled the new arrivals in on their plan. The Raiders, Moody and Remus were in agreement, even James Potter was nodding in approval while Lily seemed reluctant. Albus was staunchly against it but he was overruled by his 'grandfather' who said he was too young to make decisions like that. Obviously Nicholas was very enthusiastic about the idea.

"Albus, you take the Dursleys and head over to Grimmauld Place with Fawkes and the rest of us will head to different locations before we all meet up again in your office at, lets say seven, that work for you?"

"Why are we going to go to different locations?" Stevens asked curiously.

"Well the Aurors are certainly going to show up and they will pick up the trace of our portkeys and the fact that we didn't travel together. We have several locations that we have been using that are unplotable to prevent them from following us everywhere we go. Fudge may be gone and I have a lot of respect for both you and Madam Bones but I still like to keep the Ministry confused."

"Is it wise to send your, family, to Grimmauld Place?" Tonks asked seriously.

"Probably not, but they can't go to Hogwarts and they certainly aren't staying at my house. With my luck they'll try to take me to court to get it placed under their name. This way they're both alive and far away from me. Tootles." He finished with a small wave before activating his portkey, the other Raiders quickly followed. Fawkes flew over to land on his shoulder and Dumbledore sighed lightly before looking down at Petunia and Dudley and shaking his head. With a flick of his wand Vernon's body floated over to him. Grabbing the fat man's wrist as he leaned over and placed a hand on Petunia's shoulder. She tried to move away but the bulk of her son was holding her down and she gasped loudly and Dudley shrieked when Fawkes burst into flames just before they vanished. Only then did a sudden thought come to Remus.

"Um, do any of you happen to have a portkey?" He asked as he looked between Stevens, Nicholas and Moody, plainly ignoring his two former friends. With a smirk Moody reached into his pocket and removed his watch.

"It will only carry one I'm afraid." He chuckled as he activated it just before a small thud was heard.

"Damn, the shields are about to drop." Stevens cursed. "Um, run." He said before he shot out the back door with the others right behind him. With his enhanced strength and speed Remus quickly got ahead of him and literally ran through the back fence making a hole for the others. Despite the path Remus had cleared for them, Nicholas still chose to 'throw' himself over each fence that blocked his path and the others found it incredibly annoying that the man was giggling like a schoolgirl while they were running for their lives. After they were sure they were clear of the anti-apperation wards they hid behind a shed so that they were out of sight before apperating away.

MMM

Twenty minutes later Harry, Tonks, Blaise and Dung were entering the 'Most Nobel and Ancient House of Black' simply for the pure enjoyment of seeing the Dursley's reactions, Snape chose to decline. Apparently he had enough of the Dursleys the moment he laid eyes on them. The others would have liked to see the show but unfortunately they were not members of the Order so they could not enter the house. The four of them crept in the door quietly so as not to wake the portrait of Sirius' hag of a mother. Looking around at the bright pink that covered walls, floor and furniture the other three looked at Dung in disgust. Even Tonks looked unnerved by that much pink. The lot of them spun about quickly when they heard the door open again but relaxed when it was only Remus whose eyes lit up when he saw them.

"Harry, I just had an idea." He whispered as he crept passed the portrait. Seeing the confused look on Harry's face he draped one arm over his shoulders and led him back towards the door where he spoke to him in quick words. The others looked just as confused as Harry had and strained to hear what was being said but were unable to discern the words. After a few minutes the two rejoined the others with wide smiles but refused to answer any questions.

Turning the corner into the sitting room they stopped suddenly when they saw Dudley sitting stiffly in a high backed chair as he cast frightened glances all around him. Petunia was kneeling on the floor beside the pink threadbare sofa where her husband was laying. He seemed to be waking up although he was very groggy. Molly Weasley was standing nearby with her wand clutched in her hand while she had her hands on her hips and glared at the family with undisguised loathing. Getting an idea Harry motioned to the others to keep quiet while he cast a disillusionment charm on himself. Taking the hint the other four grinned and quickly did the same.

Taking Tonks by the hand so that she didn't trip over him, Harry led her around the room while Blaise, Remus and Dung followed their faint outlines so that they had an unobstructed view. Luckily Mrs. Weasley seemed to be to preoccupied with her feelings regarding the new 'houseguests' to be alerted to their presence. In fact she had quite a smirk when she looked at Vernon's two blackened eyes. Petunia had 'tried' to help her husband sit up as he clutched his right hand to the side of his head. In the end it took Dudley's help to get his father up and he was currently sitting up with his head in his hands as he tried to keep the room from spinning.

"What happened to me?" The man slurred. Petunia looked apprehensive for a brief moment before speaking.

"Potter hit you then he had us sent here." As soon as these words were out of her mouth Vernon's pounding headache seemed to vanish. His head shot up from his hands and he looked at his wife with rage.

"POTTER?" He spat as he jumped to his feet. "When I get my hands on that boy it will be months before he gets out of the hospital." He threatened as he looked around. Ignoring Mrs. Weasley he began stomping towards the door intent on beating some respect into his nephew. Hearing his words Molly grew enraged, no one messed with one of her kids. She fully intended to put the fat slob in his place but someone else beat her to it.

"You wanted to speak with me, Uncle?" Harry asked in a scathing tone when he suddenly appeared in Vernon's path as he removed the disillusionment charm. His uncle stopped in shock at his sudden appearance and took a step back when he noticed all the scars. Taking no notice of his pervious threats Harry took several steps towards the man.

"Do you really think you could hurt me, Vernon?" Harry asked curiously before smirking. "I can assure you, I am in no danger from you. But I am here to talk business." With a slight flick of his wand Vernon was knocked back on to the couch.

"There are people in this world that want you dead simply because you are related to me." Vernon looked about ready to yell again but Harry's next words shocked him into silence. "I was all ready to let you and your pathetic little family die today, but unfortunately, cooler heads prevailed. So, you will be staying here for the foreseeable future. Of course you will not be permitted to leave incase you are seen."

"I HAVE NO INTENTION OF REMAINING IN A HOUSE FULL OF FREAKS. I HAVE A COMPANY TO RUN AND I…"

"That is where you are wrong, _Uncle_." Harry interrupted with a grin as he sat down in a chair opposite the fat man. "You see, when I said I had business to discuss, your job, or rather lack there of, is what I meant. I am sure you have heard of Smith & Sorenson Inc.?"

"Of course I have heard of…

"Glad to see we are on the same page, that corporation of course owns Grunning's." Harry said for the benifit of the others in the room that had no idea where he was going with this. "You see, I recently discovered that my family is the sole stockholder in that corporation. Jackson Smith and Desmond Sorenson are merely figureheads that represent my family's, or rather, MY interests in the muggle world. Judging by the rapid loss of blood to your face, I'm sure you now understand the gravity of the situation." It took a lot of effort, a whole lot, but Harry actually managed to keep a straight face and a professional tone as he spoke.

"It has also come to my attention that your employment with Grunning's was done at my mother's behest, a foolish decision on her part. Despite how Petunia felt about her, she didn't want you unemployed with a baby on the way. And what did you do with this opportunity? You nearly drove the company into the ground by either firing or driving good employees to quit. I find it pathetic that you never realized that you were _purposely_ left in that position. Any other company would have fired you almost immediately. So," He continued as he stood back up. "Due to your incompetence, lack of respect for those that work under you, and for being an overall bastard, I'm afraid that I will be getting in touch with Desmond Sorenson later today about finding a suitable replacement for you. I'm sure you understand. This is, of course, pending an investigation into any possible criminal activities that may have been committed over the course of the last sixteen years. Oh, and incidentally, don't come to me looking for a reference." Harry couldn't take it anymore and began laughing hard as he walked out of the room with Tonks at his side.

"Well, that was fun." Tonks laughed as they walked into the hallway.

"Yes, it certainly was." Harry agreed as he suddenly bent her backwards and engulfed her lips with his in a passionate kiss. It didn't take long for the young woman to return the favor and with their focus solely on each other they were oblivious to what was going on around them. That is until…

"NYMPHADORA!" They heard a female voice gasp out. Harry looked over towards the kitchen door and saw a shocked man and a woman that he didn't recognize, but Tonks obviously did.

"Mum, Dad." She said nervously.

"Mum and Dad?" Harry said out loud in confusion before his eyes shot open wide. He instantly released his hold on Tonks and stood up straight with his hands behind his back, much like a child would do when caught getting into something. Tonks fell the short distance to the floor and let out a soft grunt when she landed on her back. Tonks' parents seemed quite amused though they did look a little haggard.

"Um, hi." Tonks greeted her parents as she stood up.

"Hello, dear, who's your friend?" Andromeda Tonks asked with a grin as her husband tried to play the angry father as he leered at Harry but he didn't pull it off very well.

"Well, ah, this is Harry." She answered nervously as she closely examined a warped piece of paneling along the wall. Her mother raised an eyebrow before she seemed to work it out and her eyes flew wide open.

"Harry Potter?" She asked in shock as she looked him over. Harry just nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "My Lord!" She said respectfully as she inclined her head. The two elder Tonks' watched in interest as Harry's left eye began to twitch.

"Please, don't call me that, my ego isn't exactly fragile. I get enough of that from those blasted goblins." He grumbled in annoyance.

"The goblins find it amusing to use his titles as often as possible just to annoy him." Tonks explained when her parents looked confused at Harry's remark. "So, what are you doing here? This was the last place I would have thought to see you." She asked in hopes of steering their attention away from the position they found her in and it seemed to work as they both seemed to grow worried, something both Harry and Tonks picked up on immediately.

"I met your mother for lunch about half an hour ago and we were attacked by Death Eaters. We just barely escaped but the restaurant was almost completely destroyed. Professor Dumbledore just left and is there now trying to get things under control. At least thirty people are dead that we know of." Tonks looked absolutely horrified at the news. Although both her parents were technically part of the Order, neither had been particularly active in the magical world since they moved into muggle London when Nymphadora was born. They fact that Andromeda had married a muggleborn wizard infuriated her family and they feared for their daughter's safety with Voldemort growing more powerful. With little contact with other witches and wizards in over twenty years it made no sense that the Dark Lord would target them now.

"But why would they make the effort…"

"DUNG, REMUS, GET OUT HERE!" Harry shouted causing the small family to jump. Unlike Tonks, he obviously had his suspicions. Almost immediately the two men came running out of the sitting room with looks of both confusion and worry.

"Remus, take Blaise and head over to Hogwarts now. When you get there find McGonagall and the younger members of the Order and don't let them out of your sight for a moment until Snape gets there with the Marauder's Map so you can do a sweep of the school. GO!" Remus nodded sharply before getting Blaise out of the sitting room and heading to the fireplace to floo to Hogwarts.

"Dung, get to the Ministry, find Arthur and bring him back here. While you're at it get Percy as well and keep them here." Dung left quickly without question. "Tonks please get Albus back here immediately."

"But Harry, they may still need him at that restaurant."

"Tonks, those people are already dead, we need to worry about the ones that are still alive." Harry snapped. "TWINKLE."

"Yes Harry?" The elf asked as she popped in next to her master.

"Get back to the manor and tell everyone to go check on their families. If everything is alright have them start setting up a way to evacuate them if it ever becomes necessary and tell Snape to get my map and head over to Hogwarts to meet Remus." Twinkle nodded and popped away as Harry made to use the fireplace in the sitting room but remembering that Mrs. Weasley was in their with the Dursleys he chose to use the one in the kitchen instead. Moving swiftly across the room he grabbed some floo powder off the mantle and threw it into the fire.

"Weasley Wizard Wheezes." He called out before sighing and rubbing his face in frustration. Looking back up he could clearly see that the flames had not changed. His eyes grew wide as he realized that someone must have been blocking the connection.

"GOD DAMNIT!" Harry roared before stepping into the flames and calling out 'Diagon Alley', leaving behind two wide eyed adults that were clearly thinking that the boy certainly didn't act like a normal teenager.

"What's all this shouting about?" The two spun around to find an annoyed Molly Weasley standing in the kitchen doorway with her hands on her hips.

"I'm not exactly sure really." Andromeda lied, there was no sense in worrying the woman about her family if it turned out to be nothing. Molly eyed the two suspiciously before turning around and leaving once again. Mr. and Mrs. Tonks looked at each other for a brief moment before nodding and rushing over to the fireplace. They didn't know much about the young man but they could clearly see that their daughter cared for him so if they could help him they intended to do just that.

Harry had to fight his way through the large crowd that occupied The Leaky Cauldron and his rising anger must have been apparent as those in front of him began to literally throw themselves out of his path. Surprisingly the archway behind the tavern opened on it's own as he rushed out the back door but he didn't pay it any mind as he charged down the ally with his wand clasped tightly in his hand. More than one person was knocked to the ground as he ran right through them with his eyes locked in the direction of his friend's joke shop.

Finally he stopped just across the ally from the brightly colored shop and looked around intently for any signs of danger. Using his magical eye he could see inside the building but found nothing but a shop full of enthusiastic children and equally excited adults as they browsed the shelves of varying and unique joke items. Lee Jordan and an unknown girl stood behind the counter while either Fred of George shuffled through the back room. There were no signs of aggression anywhere in the building. Breathing a sigh of relief Harry holstered his wand and took a step towards the door.

Without warning the front of Weasley Wizard Wheezes exploded in a ball of fire. The shockwave of the blast threw Harry forcefully back through the front window of the junk shop behind him. His battlerobes protected him from the charmed glass that could not withstand the force but they did little to protect against the blunt impact of the various shelves and bins that he came crashing down upon.

He had no idea how long he laid on that floor in a daze but as he stumbled out of the shop with blood coming out of his ears he watched the scene of utter panic and chaos with a sort of emotional detachment. He couldn't hear a thing but people were screaming and crying and running in every direction. The explosion had nearly destroyed Weasley Wizard Wheezes completely as well as the shops on either side. From what he could see through the haze of black smoke there were at least two dozen bodies lying in the street with an uncounted number that had been in the effected buildings.

Ted and Andromeda Tonks had just made it through the crowd just in time to see a billow of smoke and fire explode into the afternoon air. They looked on in absolute horror as the flames and wood and stone projectiles claimed one life after another. Andromeda reacted only a split second before her husband as she moved forward with her wand raised to help those on the outer edge of the blast area that were trying, without success, to extinguish the flames that were consuming their clothing and bodies, all the while trying to keep from being sick at the nauseating smell of burning flesh.

There are few, if any, in the Alley that day that would not wake up in a cold sweat with the images of the dead and dying flashing through their heads for years to come. The memory of the pain and fear would always be with them and in the silence of the night they will always hear the screams.

Harry finally came out of his daze when one of the Weasley twins grabbed him by the shoulders and began screaming at him with a look of pure anguish on his face. He couldn't hear a word he was saying but the meaning behind them was clear. He knew that his brother and best friend were in their shop and the chances that either of them had survived was very small. Not even bothering to try and explain to the man that he couldn't hear a damn thing, Harry drew both of his wands and with two streams of water he did his best to put out the fires in the buildings enough to get inside without killing himself. The redhead and several others joined him almost immediately and soon groups of people from further down the Alley were able to get through to help the wounded but sadly it seemed that most were dead.

"BECKLE!" Harry shouted loudly as he stumbled through the debris. The little House Elf was at his side immediately and her eyes went wide in horror and she coughed through the smoke and stench before instantly vanishing again. She was only gone for a moment before she returned with five other elves that had at least a little training and quickly set about working on the wounded.

MMM

An hour and a half later Harry was walking down a nearly deserted corridor in Saint Mungo's Hospital, grimly taking long purposeful strides towards the wing for long-term spell damage. Those few people he did come across quickly got out of his way due to a combination of his infuriated expression and his haggard appearance. Although Beckle had healed his ears he still had dried blood running down the sides of his neck due to his eardrums bursting. His robes were an absolute mess, covered in soot, grime and blood. They were once again open because the wound on his chest reopened when he was thrown through the front window of the junk shop.

The explosion at Weasley Wizard Wheezes was an absolute disaster. In total thirty nine innocent people had lost their lives, most of them children, with at least two dozen more injured. Although he was seriously injured, the Weasley family caught a break when George was found among the rubble. He had been in the storeroom at the time of the blast and the extra wall and stacks of crates offered him some measure of protection. Most of the right side of his body was covered with second and third degree burns and he had an assortment of broken bones and internal injuries but the healers expect him to make a full recovery with minimal scaring given the proper treatments and time.

When they learned of the attack on Diagon Alley the Weasleys were infuriated when Dung informed them that they would not be able to leave Grimmauld Place until they knew it was safe. They had attempted to go through him but, anticipating this reaction, he had bullied Dumbledore into granting a few other Raiders access to the Order's headquarters to make sure they stayed put. When the two hooded individuals, Susan and Marietta to be specific, as well as several Order members suddenly appeared just behind Dung the three Weasleys present had faltered slightly and became resigned to the fact that they would not be leaving, although Arthur gave serious thought to the idea of facing their 'guards' head on and Molly certainly wasn't going to take their confinement quietly.

Percy, however, found this to be the perfect time to point out that they would never be in that position if they had just listened to him the year before and cut all ties with _Potter._ He spat the name as if it were something foul that deserves to be vilified. His rant was cut off suddenly when Fred entered the room to collect his family and upon hearing the young man's words he punched his older brother so hard that he went crashing into the far wall. Not sparing Percy another glance he reassured his parents that he was fine and that George was alive. Without waiting for an explanation Molly and Arthur made their way to the fire place to floo to Saint Mungo's. A few Order members made to stand in their way until Dung snapped at them to get out of the way. Within seconds the Weasleys were gone with the three Raiders right behind them. Now that they knew that George was alive and in the hospital they could better protect the other Weasleys should the need arise. It was much easier to control the situation within a public building than out on the street where thanks to the Death Eaters fear and panic dominated nearly everyone present.

"Can I help you, Sir?" Harry was snapped out of his thought as the stern and suspicious voice registered. Look up he was met with the piercing gaze of a mediwitch that was sitting behind the counter at the entrance to his target ward. She showed no outward signs of fear but her penetrating eyes were clearly regarding his as a possible threat. Only one of her hands was visible so it was probably a foregone conclusion that she was gripping her wand just in case.

"Yes, Ma'am, I'm looking for John Anderson." Harry replied respectfully while he was inwardly relieved that she either didn't recognize him or, judging by her expression, more likely that she just didn't make a big deal about it. Yes this woman was just a bit much like McGonagall for his comfort. A brief look of pity appeared on the woman's face as she realized who he was looking for.

"He's just through there." She informed him with much less hostility as she pointed to a door that was just across the corridor from the ward where Neville's parents were currently 'resting'. With a brief nod Harry walked through the door after taking a deep breath as he tried to prepare himself for what he would find on the other side.

The room was just like any other hospital ward you were likely to find the world over. The walls, ceiling and floor were all a crisp white and even the air had a sterile scent to it. Along each of the side walls, five beds were positioned a few feet apart with freshly cleaned sheets and blankets. There were only two differences between this room and all others in Saint Mungo's. The first was that there was only one occupied bed and the second and most important in Harry's opinion was that the walls were decorated with various drawings and paintings that were obviously done by children.

Steeling himself for what would undoubtedly be the worst experience of a very eventful day, Harry quietly strolled over to where John was sitting with his back facing the door. He was still wearing his battlerobes but had since not bothered to raise his hood. Not that it mattered much anymore. The purpose for hiding his identity was now all but gone entirely. As Harry reached his friend's side he could only stand in silence since he certainly couldn't trust his voice at the moment.

John looked on to the face on his eleven year old daughter as he held her hand tight and tears fell freely from his face. She looked much like any other young girl with the exception of her deathly pale completion and the almost dead look in her eyes as she stared up at the ceiling blankly, obviously not taking notice of anything going on around her. Harry's eyes welled up with tears and he was forced to look away so that he could keep complete control over his emotions.

"She was going to be spell crafter, you know." John spoke up in a monotone, almost emotionless, voice. Apparently despite his grief he was still well aware of his surroundings and who was with him. "What eleven year old knows exactly what they want to due when they grow up. She even started making plans, figuring out what classes she would need and how well she would need to due. She found the idea of creating new spells amazing." He continued as he gently moved some of her hair aside, out of her face. "She is very intelligent for her age, mature too. And, and so very beautiful." He gasped out with a sob.

Harry could no longer keep his tears at bay and they streamed down his face as he reached forward to grip the older man's shoulder in a comforting way. At this point John broke down completely and gave into his grief. Harry stood there silently as the man cried over the empty shell that used to be his daughter. As looked down at the young girl once again his rage began to reach new heights. Voldemort and his Death Eaters like to claim that they are some kind of noble crusaders that are trying to save the wizarding world, there is nothing noble about torturing anyone to such a point, especially a child. Someone was going to pay, and pay dearly for this.

"Is everyone else alright?" John asked several minutes later when he was able to regain control of his emotions.

"No." Harry sighed. "Steven's wife was attacked and killed. He and Juan are currently destroying my house. Tonks' parents were also attacked, both escaped unharmed but the Death Eaters managed to kill close to a dozen innocent muggle bystanders before they left. Remus and Snape caught two unmarked Death Eaters trying to enter Hogwarts in order to kill McGonagall. And finally, the Weasley twins were attack, or more specifically their store was attacked.

"The entire front of the store, as well as the two on either side of it, was blown up almost two hours ago. As of now thirty nine people are dead with dozens more wounded, unfortunately most of those are children. Fred wasn't at the store at the time but luckily George managed to survive though he is severely wounded and will probably be spending much of the next month or two here in the hospital."

"How could they have known about us? It doesn't make any sense."

"The Weasley twins could have been targeted for any number of reasons but considering the fact that the attacks were directed at the families of various Raiders I suspect that they found out about Bill's involvement. No one bothered to inform me until about an hour ago that Professor Flitwick figured out his identity when they were working on the wards at the Parkinson's home so it is perfectly within reason that Millicent Bullstrode noticed their conversation. As for you and Steven, well there are only two people that had any knowledge of your involvement and I intend to have a lengthy discussion with them as soon as I leave here."

"I'M GOING WITH YOU!" John roared as he jumped to his feet when he realized who Harry was talking about. Harry looked at the man cautiously for a few moments before nodding in acceptance. He was a bit worried that the man wouldn't be able to keep his feelings under control but this was about his family and Harry wasn't going to stand in his way. He certainly wouldn't let anyone stand in his way if their rolls were reversed so he had no right to be hypocritical.

"Alright, I'll also have Steven and Juan join us as well, they have every right to be there as well when we get our answers." John nodded stiffly before turning around and giving his daughter a soft kiss on the forehead before tearing his red watery eyes away from her and stalking out of the room with Harry right behind him.

MMM

As soon as Harry and John made it to the main lobby of the hospital Harry was bombarded with question after question regarding the attacks that had occurred over the course of a very long day. For the most part the two just tuned these questions out as the tried to wade through the crowd of reporters that had surrounded them. A few of the smart ones had hung back when they got a look at the grim determination on the young man's face but unfortunately the vast majority decided to risk life and limb in getting what could potentially be a great story.

"Mr. Potter, what do you think of Rufus Scrimgeour?"

"Who?" Harry asked in confusion at the seemingly unrelated question about someone he had never even heard of before.

"Rufus Scrimgeour! After the attack on Diagon Alley all available Department heads and the Wizengamont convened to expedite the selection for the next Minister of Magic and he was selected by a majority vote." The reporter informed him and awaited his response.

"I have never heard of the man before and I don't have the time to dig through the false fronts of petty bureaucrats to find out what kind of man he truly is. He just better stay out of my way."

Half an hour later Harry, John, Steven and Juan were escorted into an ornately decorated office that was a far cry from the rundown warehouse the building appeared to be from the outside. The two men escorting them were both large and had a no nonsense quality about them. They both wore dragon hide vests over stylish muggle cloths and had their wands in their hands although they weren't trained on them at the moment.

The office was large and was furnished with high quality and beautifully crafted furniture. Many priceless antiques were scattered about the room but what stood out the most was the massive mahogany desk that was positioned in the exact center of the room. Even with magic it must have taken months to craft that piece without ruining the flawless artistry that was carved along the edges and the center of the various panels.

With the exception of themselves and their 'guards' there were only two other occupants in the office. One, who stood in a shadowed corner of the room, had a face that looked more like a rat than even Peter Pettigrew though the shine in his eyes clearly told all those present that he was far more intelligent than the former Marauder. He was also a good deal taller and in much better shape than Wormtail. The other person was the man that was currently sitting behind the desk.

He appeared to be somewhere around eighty years old or so with short white hair and a finely trimmed beard. His deep blue eyes screamed of his wisdom but it was also clearly evident that he could be cold and merciless if the need arose. He regarded his guests with a calm although intrigued expression.

"Leave us!" Harry snapped at the two men that had brought them in. Both stared at him incredulously for believing he could give them orders but the old man nodded his consent and the two left without a word. After placing several privacy charms Harry and his three companions sat down in the chairs their host had conjured for them.

"So what is it that you need today Mr. Potter, another favor perhaps?" He asked with a small smirk which only served to irritate them further.

"You have done me no favors. If I remember correctly, I paid you a great deal for that information. No, our reason for coming here is much more personal. I simply wish to know why you sold out my companions here, and their families, to Voldemort and his Death Eaters." The reactions he received were much like he expected. The man in the corner stiffened slightly while his boss narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Excuse me?" He asked in a dangerous voice. Clearly he didn't like be lumped into the same category as Death Eaters. Without a word Harry drew his wand swiftly and before anyone could react his curse was on its way. Almost instantly the rat faced man dropped to the ground with a painful cry as all the bone and cartilage in his left knee was shredded.

"My point is this, outside of our group the only people alive that knew of their affiliation with me were the two of you. Given the fact that their families were attacked today I have no choice but to come to the conclusion that one of you saw an opportunity to collect a little money. I know perfectly well that you are not a stupid man. You would never approach Voldemort yourself so the only question that remains is whether or not that piece of shit on the floor was acting on your orders." Harry growled. With every word that was spoken the rage that John and the twins were feeling was becoming more and more evident. As angry as they were however it couldn't even begin to match the utter fury radiating off of the old man in front of them as he glared down at his second in command.

"I can assure you that that information did not come from me."

"That is good enough for me." John snapped as stood up and approached the man gasping in pain. After stunning him John grabbed him roughly and dragged him out of the office with Steven and Juan right behind him. Despite his anger at the situation the old man was surprised that they had actually taken his word without much thought. Not very many people would simply accept his denial of guilt, he was often guilty of such crimes after all. Seeing his confusion Harry explained.

"Sir, to put it bluntly, you're a criminal. The purpose of your business is to make money. Men in your position are having the same problems the goblins are currently experiencing and that is a decrease in revenue. Voldemort's war is bad for business. You can't exactly blackmail shop owners for a percentage of their profits if the shops themselves are being destroyed. At present the Ministry is concentrated almost solely on Voldemort, only a fool would bring their attention back to you by selling information for a handful of galleons. As I said before, you are not a stupid man, you wouldn't risk making enemies of people that having been paying you quite handsomely with the prospect of gaining more. Well, we got what, or rather who, we came for so I will bid you good day." Harry finished as he stood and made his way to the door.

"Mr. Potter, out of curiosity, what do you plan to do with Charles?" He asked while hoping that whatever they did to him would be a great deal more painful than what he himself would have done had John not gotten to him first.

"I'm not entirely sure yet but I can guarantee that the man has seen his last sunrise." Harry replied in a cold voice with a positively evil look in his eyes.

MMM

At seven o'clock that evening Harry, Tonks and Snape climbed the stairs up to the Headmaster's office to finish the meeting they had begun that afternoon. As a result of the disastrous afternoon most of the Raiders had chosen to skip the meeting in favor of either relaxing in solitude or spending time with their families. Due to the threat to their families Harry had gotten copies of the land holdings for both the Potter and Black families and had Blasie going through them to find a suitable place for them to evacuate their wives and children should the need arise. As they stepped into the office they found everyone else already present and looking grave.

"First off, I have one thing to say," Harry began, cutting off Dumbledore before he could say anything. "I want to hear nothing else about this story Ravenclaw gave on her death bed."

"But Harry…"

"I don't want to hear it Albus!" Harry snapped angrily. "I have had my entire life dictated to me in one way or another all my life by people that never had that right. I'll be damned if I will allow the chance of a normal family life later on be taken away from me as well. That will be the end of it. Now, moving on." Dumbledore sighed in resignation but it was clear to everyone present that this would NOT be the end of it although both Tonks and Lily Potter seemed immensely pleased at Harry declaration.

"Very well, Harry. First I would like to inform you of a few problems you will undoubtedly have with our new Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour."

"What, is he as bad as Fudge?"

"No, Harry, he is nothing like Cornelius. He is one hundred percent against Voldemort and all those that support him. He is highly intelligent and has the nerve to allow the Aurors and Unspeakables some leeway in dealing with any threat."

"Ok, so far I'm not seeing any problems here." Snape said in confusion at where this was going.

"The problem, Mr. Snape," Stevens began. "Is that Rufus is a believer. He believes that the power in this country must come from the government. He is convinced that it is the Ministry's responsibility to combat threats such as Voldemort and that anyone that takes matters into their own hands, short of self defense, are vigilantes and will be tried and convicted as such."

"Ah, so you expect him to come after my colleagues and I because we acted when the Ministry wouldn't."

"That is a certainty. Unfortunately, due to this fact it will be next to impossible to keep your status as Unspeakables a secret for much longer." James, Lily and Jacob looked at Harry in shock at finding out that he was an Unspeakable and Harry didn't feel like informing his parents that it was merely a technicality. Harry just sighed and shook his head. He really hated politics.

"Fine, we'll deal with that when it comes up. Have any of you been able to get any information on the attacks today?"

"I received an owl from our spy within Voldemort's inner circle about an hour ago. Apparently these attacks were merely a way of venting his anger as opposed to trying to save face in the eyes of his allies as we originally suspected. Shockingly enough he seems to want to win your, or rather Acerbus Grimm's, respect for some reason. He plans on launching a large attack, that he will lead himself, within the next month to achieve that goal. Unfortunately he wont tell anyone what the target is."

"Well why can't Harry send him a message himself and prod him for information?" Jacob spoke up.

"Because at the moment I have the position of power in this 'relationship' and I can't give it up. Tom was told to contact me when he got his priorities straight. If I break and contact him first that balance will shift in his favor and if I try to worm information out of him he will certainly get suspicious."

"There is one more thing Harry." Dumbledore began uneasily as if he were not looking forward to his reaction. "The man that informed the Death Eaters about a few of your colleagues is a man named Charles Durity. He is the right hand man of a wizard that controls a great deal of organized crime in the London area known as the Dragon. It would appear that he has allied himself with Voldemort." Of all the reactions he was expecting he was expecting he did not entertain the idea that Harry, Tonks and Snape would find amusement from his concerns.

"I assure that this is no laughing matter. The Dragon has a great many dangerous men working under him and could pose a serious threat. He should not be underestimated."

"I have a suggestion Albus. Before you automatically begin thinking of someone as your enemy maybe you should get the whole story. Why don't you just run down to London sit down with the man and ask him if he is a Death Eater, surely you will be able to tell if he is trying to be deceptive."

"That might be one possible solution," Madam Bones began sarcastically. "Except for the fact that no one knows who he truly is or where he is based. We have tried to get people close to him for years and met with no success."

"Well then it's a good thing that we have access to his headquarters, isn't it? And he assures me that Durity was acting for his own interests and I believe him. After all, he's getting a great deal more money from me than he would from Voldemort." Harry watched with a smirk as everyone looked at him with shock. Not even Dumbledore could keep his normally calm expression from dropping.

"WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Stevens gasped out loudly.

"Where do you thing we got all that information for our raids in Knockturn Alley. Surely you didn't believe that those shop owners would allow any smuggler or black market slipshot know where they stored their more valuable goods." Snape replied smugly.

"How could you associate with such people?" Remus asked with a strange mixture of shock and awe.

"We're not Aurors Moony, and though technically we are Unspeakables, we do not answer to the Ministry. Voldemort is our ONLY objective and if we have to work with some unsavory types to achieve our goals then that is what I will do. He isn't going to help me free of charge and I'm certainly not going to aid him in his endeavors but I won't hinder him either as long as he doesn't resort to Death Eater tactics. As long as he sticks to smuggling, blackmail or attacking other men like him he can do whatever he wants to his hearts content for all I care. Joining Voldemort would be a big mistake on his part. It would be bad for business and it would paint a big target on his forehead when the Ministries attention is elsewhere."

"Well what of the other guy…" Remus began as he tried to remember the man's name.

"Durity?" Tonks asked helpfully. "He's dead." Once again everyone was shocked at both her statement and her emotionless tone of voice.

"How, how did he die?" James asked quietly.

"Very painfully." Harry answered as he stared his father down with hard eyes. Seeing that Dumbledore was about to speak up, probably to announce his disappointment, he quickly continued. "Tell me Albus, have you ever met a young witch named Sara Anderson?" Looking confused, he thought for a few moments before shaking his head.

"No? Well now you will never get that chance. She is just an eleven year old girl but right now she is occupying a bed in Saint Mungo's and it's highly unlikely that she will ever leave it. Her father John also lost his wife and elderly mother today. Katherine Ramirez was also killed. Do you think these people don't deserve justice? The facts of the matter is that what Charles Durity did was not a crime, he can not be sent to prison or even fined for it but his conscious action resulted in the deaths of four people and the torture of a small girl, results that he KNEW would occur. Do you honestly think that he should have gotten away with that? Now, if you gentle people can do without me, I'm going to turn in early. It's been a very long day." With that Harry walked over to the shelves against the side wall and took down the egg that Hagrid had given him before sweeping out of the office before activating his portkey but groaned out loud when he appeared in the entrance hall of his home only to find Blasie standing there with an anxious look on her face. The change of expression when she saw him made it clear that she was waiting for him.

"Harry I've got something you have to see." She began as she held up the file that held the Black family holdings.

"Oh, did you find a suitable evacuation point already?"

"No, this is much more important. When I was going through the various transactions in recent years I found one in particular that stood out."

"And that would be?" Harry prompted, hoping that she would get to the point.

"Seventeen years ago a vault was open for Bellatrix Lestrange with monthly deposits of five thousand galleons. There was only one condition put on the contract and that was that it remain hidden from her husband. These deposits were made on schedule until she was arrested and her assets were frozen."

"Ok, and this is important how? Big deal, the Blacks were funneling her money, that doesn't seem to unusual."

"I would agree except for the fact that at that time Sirius Black had already assumed full control over all Black family assets."

"WHAT? You must have made a mistake."

"I didn't, and there's more. The day after Lestrange escaped form prison last year Sirius personally went to Gringotts and open another vault for her. Since then the five thousand galleon deposits have been made on schedule every month."

TBC


	26. Summer's End

THE NEW ORDER

By

Padfootjr24

Chapter Twenty Six: Summer's End

Harry stood completely still with a bewildered look on his face for several moments as he tried to process what the young woman had just said. Sirius was funneling money to Bellatrix Lestrange? It just didn't make any sense at all. Every time her name was even mentioned he always seemed to grow enraged to the point where it was clear that he would like nothing more than to tear her apart very slowly to inflict as much pain as physically possible. Not to mention the fact that it was Bellatrix herself that had killed him. Why would she do so if he were controlling her funds? Surely she wasn't insane enough to believe that with him gone she could gain control of the entire Black estate.

With a sigh of confusion he sunk into a chair that was sitting along the wall before closing his eyes as he started going over his memories from the Department of Mysteries. Judging by her behavior during that confrontation he quickly discarded the ludicrous idea that maybe she was Dumbledore's second spy within Voldemort's inner circle. Whether she was truly repentant of her past or not he couldn't believe that Albus would truly trust her and it would be an absurdity to imagine McGonagall working with her as well after what she did to Neville's parents.

After going over his memories for several minutes his body stiffened slightly as he came to a realization. When the Order had arrived and burst into the chamber that held the Veil of Death Bellatrix stopped what she was doing and immediately moved to intercept Sirius just as he appeared to seek her out even though he could have been of much greater help elsewhere. Despite their words and the apparent savagery of their body movements their fight did not seem to show much hostility and though he could not hear all of the incantations due to silent casting the curses used were elementary at best.

The biggest surprise, however, was that the curse that sent Sirius falling through the Veil was not a lethal, or even a dark curse, but rather it was a simple _Enervate _charm which would certainly explain the surprised look on his face as his body was flooded with more energy. Using the charm while the person is still conscious would certainly give them more energy but it would leave them dazed and disoriented for a few moments as their body and mind got used to the power increase. While the charm certainly distracted her opponent and eliminated him that did not appear to be her intention judging by her choice of spells. Given all the odd circumstances Harry could only come to two possible conclusions and he didn't much like either one.

He would never make the mistake of believing Sirius to have been a Death Eater. The man, after all, had had many opportunities to either kill or capture him over the last few years so either Bellatrix was working for Dumbledore, which wasn't very likely, or Sirius was supplying her with money and 'protecting' her out of some twisted sense of family loyalty. Growing up without a real family of his own Harry could understand wanting to make sure those he did have were taken care of but that certainly didn't mean that he would be transferring large sums of money to the Dursleys. Not to mention the fact that the money was surely being used to Voldemort's benefit and regardless of the fact that she was a member of his family Harry could not suppress the wave of disgust as he thought about his godfather's actions. How many had died, how many had suffered due to those accounts?

"Come with me!" Harry growled as he stood up and stomped his way towards the stairs. Blaise wisely chose to remain silent and merely followed after him in curiosity at what he was thinking of doing. She could certainly understand his anger, after all, it wasn't everyday that you found out someone you cared a great deal for was aiding Death Eaters. As they ascended the stairs to the second and then the third floor she could feel the waves magic and pure rage pouring off of him. As they approached his room Harry didn't even have to worry about opening the door himself since the thing was nearly blown off its hinges as they grew closer but he paid no attention to this little detail as he marched straight over to his dresser ripped out what appeared to be a simple bit of parchment.

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." Harry nearly hissed out, activating the parchment for the first time since the day he received it. Being a Slytherin, Blaise was very curious by nature so naturally she was intrigued when Harry used the same phrase that activated the Marauder's Map when she knew that this particular parchment certainly wasn't it. With a shrug of her shoulders she decided that she wouldn't bother to hide her actions and moved along side Harry so that she could observe from over his right shoulder. She was a little surprised however when an elegant, wavy script appeared across the page and not the map or diagrams that she automatically assumed would be there.

_"Well it's about bloody time you decided to talk to me. For a while I figured you ran out of toilet paper and had to improvise with me, as disturbing as that may sound. So, how are you doing? I hear you're shagging dear sweet Nymphadora, I know I told you to get laid but I honestly didn't think…"_ Harry stopped reading and rubbed his eyes for several brief moments before growing increasingly annoyed with the long dialog concerning his sex life which was graphic enough to leave Blaise red faced. Harry however only grew angrier.

"SHUT IT!" Harry snapped loudly causing Blaise to jump back as she yelped in surprise.

"Um, in a bit of a snit today Harry? And who is that with you?

"Oh, forgive me," Harry began in a very sarcastic tone. "Blaise, I would like to introduce you to Sirius Black," He continued as he held the parchment up in front of her face. "Sirius, say hello to Blaise Zabini."

"Hello."

"Uh, hi." Blaise croaked out uncertainly as she looked at Harry with wide eyes.

"_Zabini uh? Can't say I recognize the name. Who are your parents?"_

"You know, or rather _knew_ her parents rather well actually but that is one topic we are going to avoid at all cost." Harry butted in as he suppressed an involuntary shudder, an action that earned him a rather forceful whack to the back of the head. After shooting the girl a quick grin Harry's expression became much colder.

"Blaise's family life, however, is not the topic of this particular discussion, instead it concerns a little tidbit of information she was able to recently uncover. You see, I asked her to go through the records for the Black and Potter families for anything that may be useful to us. Do you, by any chance, have any idea what interesting tidbit of information she did find?"

"_Um, you want to give me a hint here?"_

"In the interest of saving time I will just come out and say it. She discovered that you were apparently helping to fund the Death Eaters, more specifically, Bellatrix Lestrange, but I'm sure we can all guess where that money went once it was in her hands." Harry explained coldly. "Even a Hogwarts professor earns only about seven thousand galleons a year but you were giving her eighty four thousand a year. Such a large sum couldn't possibly be explained away as simple family loyalties so that she could have enough to survive." Harry stared at the parchment intently waiting for any half assed explanations as his anger grew by leaps and bounds. After a very long pause a message appeared instructing him to point his wand at the parchment and call out _'astame de la wisai'. _After thinking for several minutes Harry decided to just do as instructed since if the parchment was destroyed as a way to prevent him from gaining the desired information he could always visit Remus and borrow his.

_"Much better."_ Both Harry and Blaise jumped and looked around the room swiftly as Sirius' voice echoed throughout the room._ "As you can see, or rather hear, Moony was good enough to do a little research and found the necessary charm needed to adopt my writing into spoken words. After adding a few of his memories to the parchment, much like a pensieve, he was able to adjust it to synthesis my actual voice." _

"Um, Harry?" Blaise asked in confusion and even a little trepidation. Looking over to the girl and seeing her expression, Harry sighed and quickly explained the concept of the parchments that were given to him and Remus. Despite the situation she looked absolutely fascinated.

"As I'm sure you can understand, that lovely charm is only temporary so it must be recast every fifteen minutes. Moony is extremely intelligent but he doesn't have the necessary experience to make it permanent. It will certainly make this particular conversation much easier to follow."

"Fine, but back to the situation at hand. Why the hell would you, of all people, be helping the Death Eaters? You have had numerous opportunities to kill me or Dumbledore over the last two years so what were you doing, playing both sides? Waiting to see who came out on top so that no matter what you would be on the winning side?"

_"Yes, that's true. In a way I was playing both sides, but not in the way you are thinking. And while you could say I was passing funds to Bella, it was by no means going to Voldemort because she is no more a true Death Eater than Snape was. Now that HIS cover has been blown, I'm sure you have been told of another spy within the inner circle, right?"_ Harry and Blaise stood slack jawed as they stared at the parchment in shock. Despite the fact that he had previously thought through this possibility, Harry could not hide his shock from actually hearing it said. In truth he would believe Sirius to be a Death Eater before believing Bellatrix to be a spy.

"Why would someone like Bellatrix Lestrange follow Dumbledore, especially with what she did to the Longbottoms?" Blaise thought out loud but mention of Neville's parents caused Sirius to snort with disgust.

_"Frank and Alice were as much a victim of the Ministry as they were of the Death Eaters."_ Sirius spat angrily._ "Before they left for the Longbottom residence Bella managed to send off an anonymous message to the Ministry, warning of the attack since a message to the Longbottoms themselves would not arrive in time. Barty Crouch Sr., in all his infinite wisdom decided to stall the Auror response."_

"Why would he do that? The man was clearly a bit unstable but why would he sacrifice two of his Aurors like that?"

"Sacrifice had nothing to do with it. Both Frank and Alice were both quite powerful and notoriously cold blooded when it came to dealing with Death Eaters. Unlike most they exercised little restraint when it came to killing in battle. Crouch felt that they could easily handle four Death Eaters and the fact that they would probably be killed would mean a great deal less work for himself. Unfortunately since they were just as happy as everyone else concerning Voldemort's resent demise they were taken by complete surprise. During their torture Bella used some extraordinary spell casting to stall for time as well as give Frank and Alice a short reprieve until the Aurors could arrive."

"What do you mean by that?" Blaise asked in confusion.

"I'm sure that by now you have begun to learn about casting your spells silently, correct? Well if silent spell casting is possible then shouldn't it be equally possible to cast one spell but use a different incantation? Don't get me wrong, this is exceptionally difficult to achieve. Other than Bella the only ones I know of that have enough control over their own minds to achieve this is Flitwick and Albus. Not even Voldemort can achieve this. Although he is exceptionally powerful and intellegent, he doesn't have the emotional control necessary. While she may have said the word Crucio they were actually being exposed to a mild convulsion hex to simulate the physical response to the torture curse. Unfortunately the Aurors didn't not arrive until several hours after the attack began and by that time it was too late. Frank and Alice were pushed passed their limits and the Death Eaters were gone."

"This is an utterly fascinating story," Harry sighed sarcastically. "But I have heard nothing that proves anything one way or another." Before Sirius could respond Blaise spoke up after remaining silent for much of the discussion.

"Actually there is Potter." She began slowly as she tried worked everything out. "In fact you have been sharing your dorm room with a part of that proof for the last five years."

"What are talking about?" The young man snapped irritably, he was by no means in the mood for cryptic responses.

"I'm talking about Neville Longbottom, Potter. You know perfectly well that Death Eaters have no problem killing children, especially children of their enemies and yet Neville was left unharmed."

"That's right. When they first arrived Bella immediately sought Neville out and placed a silencing charm on him before placing him in a closet. He was found there by the Aurors later but examination of their wands proved that neither Frank nor Alice cast the charm. You want more proof, next time you see him, why don't you ask your friend Neville what Bella's Cruciatus felt like. You know better than most that that is a pain you will never be able to forget for as long as you live so I'm sure you will understand Bella's skill when he cannot describe it to you. It's charm of her own creation, the convultion hex overlaid with a mild memory charm that simulates pain for a very short time. After about an hour they can no longer recall what it felt like, and it doesn't have any side effects."

"Alright, fine, for the moment lets just pretend that what you said is true, why wouldn't she speak of this in court? If Lucius could get off claiming that he was under the Imperious curse surely she could get off claiming to be a spy. After all, Snape did the same thing."

"Because, like Dumbledore and a number of others, she knew that Voldemort wasn't truly gone. At the time she was only a low level Death Eater. She was powerful, intelligent and by all appearances, fiercely loyal. But she was also a woman. And many in the wizarding world still believe that a woman's place is in the home, especially purebloods. When Voldemort disappeared and most of his inner circle tried to claim they were under the Imperious curse or deny that they ever were Death Eaters she found her opportunity to raise in his favor and took it. During her trial she loudly and obnoxiously voiced her allegiances and was sent to Azkaban. As a result, when she was rescued she was given a place in his inner circle and elevated higher than even Lucius. You will find, Harry, that there are very few that will go so far to meet their goals. She means to see Voldemort dead and she will literally do anything to see it done. And as for Albus, well, Bella may be against Voldemort but she is by no means a Dumbledore supporter."

"But you just said…"

"Harry, all I said was that Albus had another spy within the inner circle. While the two may work together to some degree they most certainly don't agree on a great many things. This is a perfect example of that muggle quote, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. Most people think of this conflict as a war between good and evil, right and wrong. And in a way it is, but that certainly doesn't mean that there are not those that are more evil or more good, than others."

"Alright already!" Harry cut him off as he messaged the sides of his head. "Just get to the point."

_"The point, Harry, is that this isn't a simple two sided war. Voldemort and Dumbledore simply represent the extreme right and left of the same argument. Voldemort uses the whole purity of blood issue because it suites him, not because he believes in it himself since he is, after all, a half-blood. In his mind EVERYONE should bow down to him and those who don't must be eliminated. If he could somehow crush his enemies he will then turn on his allies he deems unworthy and destroy them as well._

_"Dumbledore however, believes in creating a utopian society. If he could, he would wrap everyone in cotton to make sure that they can't get hurt and he would keep them safe at all cost even if it meant sacrificing the personal freedoms and privacy of others. All 'for their own good' of course. You, of course, know this better than most after your dealings with him since you came to Hogwarts."_ Harry merely grunted in response as he thought about all the deceptions and information that had been withheld from him over the years.

"Alright, but where does Bellatrix fit in?"

"Bellatrix, and many others, believe that living in Dumbledore's 'perfect world' would be nearly as bad as living under Voldemort, and that is unacceptable to her. You're a smart kid, Harry, you know what is going on better than most and you know perfectly well that if this war is run Dumbledore's way you will all either be dead or kissing Voldemort's boot by the end of the year. He is a pacifist by nature, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn't make for a very effective leader during times of crisis. You, yourself, have already gone above and beyond what he would deem acceptable when dealing with the enemy. He would never advocate lethal force and I expect that if you were not Harry Potter he would have distanced himself from you by now, if not try to 'contain' you in one way or another. Many don't know this but while he did defeat Grindelwald, his death was an accident. He never meant to kill him and even though he was incredably evil Albus has never forgiven himself for taking another human's life.

"While Albus IS a good man, never doubt that, he would prefer to be rid of Voldemort and allow things in the Ministry to continue as they have for centuries. For a very long time now he has been in a position to affect real change in our governments system but he refuses to do so. The Ministry is nearly overwhelmed with corruption but because of their dealings these officials are easily manipulated and that is what Albus wants. He can easily control these men and women into doing what he feels is in the best interest of the country. It was only at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament that his control over the Ministry began to wane because they didn't want to admit that Voldemort had returned.

"Everyone knows that Albus never wanted to be Minister of Magic but it wasn't because he didn't want the job but rather because he would lose some of his control if he gained the office. At the moment he is Headmaster of Hogwarts, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamont and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. He has direct control of the Judiciary system, the Educational system and as evidenced by the members of the Order, he has a strong hand in the structure of law enforcement and legislation. Despite his good intentions he is as close to a dictator as this country has had since the signing of the Magna Carta. Only Amelia Bones and Jeffrey Stevens have prevented him from gaining full control over their departments.

"Bella's first step is to eliminate Voldemort, obviously, and she is willing to exchange information with Albus to achieve that goal but after that she and her supporters plan to move against the Ministry, politically mind you, and get rid of all the corrupt officials and limit their power. This is obviously unacceptable to Albus since he would lose most of his political influence."

"With goals such as these how is it that no one seems to know anything about it? You would think that trying to rally people against the Ministry would bring an awful lot of attention." Blaise asked in confusion.

"Because they CAN'T go public. At least not at this time." Harry began after thinking for a few moments. "If it became known that Bellatrix Lestrange was working to subvert a corrupt Ministry people would begin asking questions, questions that she would rather be left unanswered for the time being. People would certainly believe that she was acting under Voldemort's orders and Voldemort, knowing that she was working on her own, would probably come to the conclusion that she was trying to replace him."

"And Albus has said nothing because he fears that many more from within the Order would probably choose to follow Bella instead if they knew of her true motives. There is already a few within the Order that share her beliefs and desires but since it is illegal to use Veritaserum against someone that is not suspected of a specific crime he has not been able to find out who they are. Like Bella, they are willing to work with Albus for the moment but after Voldemort is defeated it is highly likely that Albus will make them enemies, or rather rivals."

"So that is what all that money was for?

"Correct, it costs a great deal to wage a war, even your own small peice of one which I'm sure you understand yourself. After dear old Voldy is gone, the conflict goes political and that is a great deal more expensive. Actually, believe it or not, you and Bella are a great deal alike."

"WHAT? I am nothing like that bitch!" Harry shouted fiercely causing Blaise to jerk back in surprise.

_"Right, lets review the evidence then, shall we," _Sirius began and it almost seemed as if he were shaking his head in exasperation._ "You are the two most stubborn people I have ever met, and I am taking your parents into account here. You're both determined to reach your goals at all cost and have surrounded yourselves with people both willing and capable of getting the job done. You're both willing to use any means when dealing with the enemy and as a way of getting information you have both put yourselves into a position to get close to our dear Dark Lord, although your plan is a great deal more audacious, if not suicidal."_

"But, Sirius, she's the one that killed you, arn't you a little upset about that?"

_"Why should I be? It was an accident. From what I understand, you, yourself, were injured earlier today in much the same situation that got me killed, do you hold your friend responsible for that? Do your other colleagues hold him responsible?" _

"How do you know about that? You are, um, just a piece of parchment. Right?" Blaise asked uncertainly as Harry just stood there gaping

_"Yes, I am a piece of parchment but like magical portraits, I can move between matching pieces. My good buddy Moony has the other and has kept me updated about what has been going on. The idea of little Nymphy throwing Albus, Remus and Phsyco 'Auror' around will keep me in a giggly mood for some time. And, Harry, before you get angry about Remus telling me about this, it's not like I'm in a position to tell your secrets. Even if someone were to get hold of one of the parchments it's not like they can cast the Imperious curse on me or dunk me in Veritaserum. Besides, only you and Moony know about them. Um, and the twins, and your friend there, hmm, and Flitwick and..."_

"Mischief Managed." Harry sighed, tapping his wand to the parchment as Sirius rambled on.

"Has, um, has he always been like that?" Blaise asked with a strange look on her face causing Harry to chuckle slightly.

"Its strange, really. The most 'normal' I've ever seen him was just after he escaped from Azkaban. I don't really like keeping things from everyone else but I think it would be best if we kept this to ourselves for the time being." Harry suggested and the only response he got was a slight nod before the Slytherin girl changed the subject.

"Well, to get back to the subject at hand, I did find something else of interest in the Potter file." Blaise stated as she gave him a piercing look that made him nervous.

"And what would that be?"

"On paper, we supposedly work for the Ministry and as such each of us is payed as a recruit for the Department of Mysteries and Stevens has been transfering our wages into your account so that you can distribute them without giving everyone's name to the Ministry."

"Your point being, what exactly?"

"My point is that we should be getting paid around four hundred and fifty galleons a month but you have been transfering twice that amount into our vaults."

"I ask again, what's your point? We may be getting paid as such but we are far from recruits. Everyone here has either given up their job, or in most of the cases, stopped all illegal activity that previously kept them and their families from starving to death. They have busted their asses to get us where we are today. They deserve a lot more than four hundred and fifty galleons. Hell they deserve more than nine hundred but I have no doubt that if I go any higher they will eventually take notice. And before you ask, yes, I'm going to continue transfering the same amount everytime, despite what they have to say on the matter. They deserve better, plain and simple."

XXX

That night John, as well as Steven and Juan chose to move into Harry's home on a perminent basis as opposed to staying in the homes where their families were attacked. Although no one said it, everyone was a little relieved by this because they were a bit worried that one or more of them would do something stupid in their grief. At least this way they could keep an eye on them though they didn't stop them when they decided to drink themselves into a stupor.

The next day Madam Bones stopped by with both Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore to see how much Susan had learned and decide whether or not she would allow her to join the Raiders on a full time basis. She arrived just in time to see her spar with Snape which left her a bit slack jawed at how skilled her niece had become in such a short time. She was surprised to see her not only using spells but also potions which was no doubt Snape's influence on her training since it was a tactic you very rarely saw. In the end Amelia sighed in resignation and agreed to Allow Susan to participate _when _she was at least up to Auror standards which shouldn't take her to terribly long to reach given how far along she had come in just a number of weeks.

"Albus, who made our battlerobes?" Harry asked as he pulled the Headmaster aside. He was mentally berating himself for not asking sooner considering whoever made them would obviously know that Voldemort's new 'allies' were infact spies.

"Have no fear, Harry. It was Aberforth who crafted both your robes and the dragon scale coverings. He, of course, was obliviated immediately afterwards, at his insistance, mind you." Albus explained with a wide grin as Harry looked at him in surprise.

"Your brother made them? Well, he may be as mad as a hatter but he is one hell of a seamstress." Harry chuckled lightly. The last thing he wanted was more people 'in the know' as its said. They already had nearly thirty Unspeakables that know considering they are now supposed to be dead but thankfully they all took nearly a dozen separate magical oaths to ensure that there were no loopholes that would allow them to pass that information on if they were so inclined. Obviously they didn't know the identity of these spies but with luck Mr. Weasley would soon find out. With the attack on Weasley Wizard Wheezes the day before Harry had no doubts that he would take up his offer. They could always use another skilled hand.

"While we are here, Harry, I would like to speak with you concerning a few other matters." Harry eyed the old man in suspicion before leading him to his office. He didn't particularly feel like giving the man the impression that he was putting him on the defensive by sitting behind his desk so instead he chose the chairs beside the fire. Once seated the Headmaster began immediately.

"With the recent attacks it is obvious that the Hogwarts curriculum must be revised to take this into account with more emphesis on defense. As a result a class dedicated to dueling will be added to the list of manditory courses for those third year and above. Not a club, mind you, but an actual class."

"Ok, I can certainly agree with that but why are you telling me? I thought it was perfectly obvious to everybody that I have no intention of returning to Hogwarts this fall. I don't know about Snape, Blaise, Susan or Merietta but I plan to continue to do exactly as I have been."

"Yes, indeed." Dumbledore sighed heavily. "Last night I was able to retain the services of Alastor to take up the post of defense professor and he will obviously be one of the dueling instructors. Remus and Kingsley have also agreed to offer their time, I would like you to be the forth instructor." Harry just looked at he old man as if he were insane for several long moments before he could even think about offering a response.

"What? Why are you asking me? The are a great many others that are much more qualified than I am."

"I think the success of those in your DA study group last year, despite Mrs. Umbridge's lack of ability and desire to impart knowledge, shows that you are quite capable and could preform the task admiralably. Also I am taking into account the fact that the students don't really know Alastor or Kingsly and it has infact been a few years since the older students have seen Remus. You, on the other hand, they are quite familar with and have earned their respect. After your actions this summer I doubt any will question your loyalties again. You will find that the young often respond better to those in their own age group than they do to older intructors."

"I doubt that, I'm not exactly the same person I was last year."

"No, you're not," Albus responded sadly. "You've been forced to grow up far faster than you should have and I'm hoping that that will also have a positive influence on the student body."

"How often would this class meet?" Harry asked after thinking for several minutes.

"I had planned on splitting it into two groups that each meet two nights a week. Two pairs of instructors rotating between the two on a weekly basis." Albus answered with a hopeful twinkle in his eyes before the two lapsed into silence once again. Harry thought about it for a while before deciding that he really wouldn't mind doing it as long as he wasn't paired with Kingsley. Normally he wasn't one to really hold a grudge but working closely with someone that tried to arrest you and give you the Dementor's Kiss just seemed wrong to him. Working with either Remus or Moody was perfectly fine with him, however. There would certainly be times when he wouldn't be able to make a meeting do to Raiders' buisness but he was sure that Albus would be able to arrange for someone to take his place on such an occasion. On the plus side it would give him the perfect opertunity to see everyone's capabilities should the need for recruitment arise.

"Alright, I'll help out but I would also like to talk to you about imports." Harry stated with a grin making the old man a little nervous.

"Imports?" He asked in confusion.

"Yes, Imports. I find myself in need of a few more sets of Battlerobes and was wondering if you knew where I could perhapes pick up some more Basilisk hide?"

"Bringing such a commodity into the country would be highly illegal. But I would imagine an eminent wizard, such as myself, would be able to aquire some without raising any eyebrows, for research puposes only, of course."

"Of course." Harry responded with a grin. "What else did you want to discuss?"

"It is just a rather simple question, Harry. I was merely curious as to how you have been able to aviod setting off the wards when you have entered Hogwarts this summer." Harry's look of genuine confusion seemed to confirm whatever theory he had been kicking around although it brought up more questions than it had answered. "I didn't think you were aware of it but in the past few months it would seem that you, and anyone you are with, are undetectable by the school shields."

The rest of the day passed without to much trouble, McGonagall agreed to help train Harry in the practical aspects of the animagus transformation, which he had been meaning to ask her about for weeks and unfortunately, from his point of view anyway, Tonks' parents, who were now staying at Grimmuald Place, insisted on meeting him. Naturally he wasn't to thrilled about the idea because he thought that they would not approve of their relastionship considering the age difference. Tonks tried to reassure him but the fact that she didn't even know what her parents thought about the matter didn't help any.

In the end he didn't really have much to worry about. They tried to play the over-protective parent roles but that was spoiled rather quickly when Ted, her father, began giggling. They asked him how he felt about the fact that Tonks was several years older than and when he told them that it didn't matter one way or another they let the matter drop without another word.

Andromeda Tonks reminded Harry of her sister, Narcissa Malfoy, except she had light chestnut clolored hair and didn't seem to have the same condesending look of superiority. What she did have was the same aristicratic features and a poise and gracefullness that would make members of the royal family jealous. Harry had no doubt that you could dress her in a paper bag and dump nuclear waste over her head and she would still give off that same regal air. She was clever and sarcastic but with a subtlety that always seemed to leave you guessing if you were being complemented or insulted. It certainly kept you wondering.

Ted, however, appeared to be the exact opposite. He wasn't really a 'right old slob', as Tonks had once described him, but he was much more casual than his wife. He wasn't one to shy away from just 'kicking back' and letting his opinion be known on whatever subject was being discussed, even if that subject happened to be extremely crude jokes. In almost every way, Ted and Andromeda were polar opposites and it made you wonder how they had been together over twenty years without driving each other insane, or killing each other for that matter. Over all, Harry greatly enjoyed his time talking with the couple, though he did breath a huge sigh of relief as he prepared to return home. He did check up on the Dursleys while he was there, alright, he stuck his head inside the door of the rooms that they had practically barricaded themselves inside to make sure they were still alive but he was pretty sure that would suffice. Before he left he took great pleasure in telling the portrait of Sirius' mother that their newer houseguests were muggles. The look of horror and disgust was enough to lift his spirits on even the most dreary of days. He was laughing pretty loudly as he stepped into the fire place as people struggled to quiet the raging portrait but no matter what they did it wasn't doing any good. It seems she was a bit upset.

XXX

"NOW LEAVE ME" Lucius bowed low to his master before quickly exiting his quaters. Voldemort, still reletively weak after his duel the day before staggered to his feet and approached the pencieve that rested on a nearby table. He would have prefered to view these memories before now but he was still to weak and the Death Eaters that contained them were implimenting the other attacks. Thankfully most of those went according to plan. While the explosion in Diagon Alley was a good deal larger than he had planned, the fear it will spread will be well worth the support he will lose from some of the old families due to the large number of pure-blood children killed. Fear has always been his greatest weapon and soon the terror that accompanied his first rise to power will be firmly in place once more.

For over an hour and a half, Voldemort reviewed the memories concerning the the attack at Hogwarts as well as the one on the Unspeakables over and over again until he was forced to admit that Macnair's actions, as well as his own, was the direct cause of the failure of those attacks. It disgusted him to even contemplate the idea that his two most powerful enemies would be dead this very day if it weren't for his own foolishness. Naturally, coming to this conclusion did nothing to raise his spirits concerning yesterday's events. The attaks targeted at Potter and those close to him met with great success as a whole but the number of servants he lost in Surry was unacceptable. While the mission itself would install a certain level of fear despite its failure, he could not afford to sacrifice so many on such a simple raid. Potter had already done way to much damage and many of his strongest Death Eaters were now either dead or in Azkaban, he would have to correct that as soon as possible.

Despite his anger at being made to look foolish he was still able to concentrate primarily on the recorded images and he was left nearly gobsmacked at what he had been witnessing. The 'execution' of the Unpeakables, it simply couldn't be called anything different, wasn't to interesting due to timing and very little action. Though from what he could see the tactics used were excellent and the speedy way they accomplished what one would normally consider an impossible task impressed even him. The next memory, however, he spent a great deal more time on.

He didn't bother to hold back a snort of disgust at how jumpy his Death Eaters were and he was enraged that they would allow someone, anyone, to verbally abuse them in such a fashion, even if it was an ally. His servants should show no fear to anyone, besides himself. Like the cowardly wizards and witches in black cloaks and white masks, Voldemort nearly gasped at the idea that killing Albus Dumbledore was merely this girl's initiation rite. From what he had already learned, he knew the basics of what had accured but seeing it with his own eyes was an entirely different story. He simply could not comprehend how this small girl could overpower the old fool in such a fashion. What shocked him the most in those first few minutes was how effortlessly she was able to neutral the old man's transfigured animals with a simple wave of her wand. A feat he would be hard pressed to duplicate.

When he was blasted off his feat and the unknown woman approached to finish him off Voldemort grinned in glee, temporarily forgetting that he was, in fact, inside a recording. The Dark Lord's jaw literally dropped, not only because of Lupin and Moody's timely arrival but also because her comrade, who was crouched along the tree line, allowed them to pass simply because he wanted to see how she would react to the added stress. She reacted quite well, even Voldemort agreed though after a few minutes he could tell the girl was beginning to tire but she was still going strong and apparently just as determined as before, if not more so. He simply could not believe that anyone, much less a mere woman, could over power the three powerful wizards so easily as well as overcome their superior experience and positioning.

His head suddenly snapped to the side as he witnessed the wards being activated as Macnair crossed the invisible boundry just inside the forest. Mere seconds later the man went limp as his lifeless body crumpled to the ground as the green light of the killing curse seemed to come out of nowhere before impacting against his chest. It was a shame to lose Macnair, the man really enjoyed work, but even if he hadn's been killed at that moment, the Dark Lord would have been forced to kill the man himself. He disobeyed a direct order that had cost the success of the mission and he could not allow that. He could not seem weak to these people no matter what the price. Obviously they were each very powerful and he needed them on his side. The raw magical power he had seen displayed in each of these encounters re-enforced his belief that he needed to boost his own reserves once again and as soon as possible.

He had originally planned on preforming the task before the new year but now he would have to push his plans forward. He did not know how powerful his new 'allies' truely were but he could not be left in a position where they could potentially overthrow him. He idlely fingered the small silver messager ring he had been left as he pondered 'Acurbus Grimm's' final words to him the day before.

He would have to make sure his own power and control were not in question before he contacted the man once again. His own actions, aand those of Macnair, had proven to be grossly incompetent and he would have to make sure that he didn't end up playing second fiddle in this conflict, this was HIS war, his rise to power, not Grimm's, and would not be seen as the weaker and less organized of the two. He would normally take a great deal of time to plan for every eventuality for a major attack but he simply didn't have the time. He needed to reaquire certain artifacts that were lost after his first downfall for the needed rituals and recent events demanded that he move quickly. Thankfully, with the timely use of Quirinus Quirrell, he had already breached Gringotts defenses once, and it had been centuries since the goblins were involved in a major conflict, so they would likely be unprepared.

After viewing the each memory at least a dozen times, Voldemort extracted himself from the pencieve before sending a short pulse of magical power along throught the dark mark as he sat himself down behind his desk, which was almost an exact replica of Dumbledore's, only made from a much darker wood. Within a few moments a soft knock was heard and Narcissa Malfoy stepped into the room after her master called her in.

"What can I do for you, My Lord?" She asked nervously.

"The portkeys, what have you learned?" He demanded sharply. Her initial hesitance told him plenty and he certainly wasn't happy about it. The woman had been working on the portkeys they had been supplied yesturday for almost twenty four hours strieght, trying to find out how they was able to go through anti-portkey wards. Such knowledge would be priceless to him and would aid him greatly in his next attack. One that he absolutely had to make regardless of any potential reprecussions.

"Very little, My Lord. I have never seen magic of this kind before and it seems that it was designed to breakdown after the second use. Its been degrading since you returned and very little magic is left and what is there looks nothing like the original charm so I won't be able to replicate it without one perfectly intact to use as a reference." As she continued with her explaination Voldemort's eyes continued to narrow with every word and she knew she was in for a very rough day.

XXX

By mid August things had settled down somewhat and just about everyone was relieved that there hadn't been a single attack since the explosion in Diagon Alley. For the most part Voldemort had miscalculated what the general response would be to such an attack would be. The fact that it was in fact mostly children that had been killed or injured brought with it great anger at those responsible once the initial shock and grief wore off. While many were still to terrified of Voldemort to do anything more than cower in their homes they had a record number of applicants for the Auror Academy and many others joined the Order of the Phoenix. Harry had no doubt that this phase would quickly ware out after a few attacks and those people would quickly begin to reconsider their decision to fight. But the ones that matter, the ones that had been fighting all along were filled with a new resolve. Men like John, Steven and Jaun, who lost their families in Voldemort's attacks became more focused on the task and would not rest until those responsible for their grief were eliminated in a very perminent way.

While George was in Saint Mungo's recovering from his wounds, Fred used the money that Harry had trasfered to them, to cover expasion and research, to purchase the entire lot that the three destroyed shops had occupied in Diagon Alley and quickly set about building the largest shop in the wizarding district. While the construction was going on Fred, with the help of Remus, began turning out one new product after another so that they would have enough merchandice to fill all of their shelves.

He also had a meeting scheduled with the Hogsmeade town council to gain the neccessary permits to build a shop in town instead of merely renting a vacant building. He and Remus were hoping to have everything ready in time for the first Hogsmeade trip for the Hogsworts students.

Unfortunately, both Dumbledore and Stevens were proven correct about the reaction they could expect from the new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour. While he had not gotten to the point where he would issue warrents for their arrest, he did order that they be found and brought in for questioning. As the former head of the Auror office he held the full respect of the Aurors so it was unlikely that they would simply let them go if found and despite this order he had Amelia's full support as she had his when she was his boss. It would have been perferable to keep their status as Unspeakables a secret for as long as possible but it just didn't seem to be feasable. Scrimgeour was one hundred percent against vigilante actions so he would have to give a reason why Harry and the others were not in Azkaban if he wished to detour others from taking similar actions. Either way, Harry was in no rush to simply walk into the Ministry to hand himself over for questioning, he just didn't trust them as a whole, which was perfectly understandable when taking past events into account.

After a particularly grueling training session with Bill and Susan, Harry made his way up to the library to continue studying the various manuscripts written in parseltongue. He and Blaise had gone through most of them already but the only information they have found that has helped them with their current problems has been a few spells designed to be cast by a parselmouth, such as their new portkeys. From what they could tell it would seem that Salazar Slytherin had been unable to master this form of magic himself though he could preform certain spells that had already been created, such as the ones recorded in his journels. According to Snape, Voldemort had also experimented with such spellcasting but had met with failure. Thankfully, as a student, he seemed to have paid more attention to the Basilisk than exploring the rest of the chamber.

Sorting throught the various books that Slytherin had either written or collected, Harry flipped throught them looking for one he had not yet read. He had been going through them for a few minutes before he noticed something rather odd. He had been looking through each book with the intent of finding one he hadn't read but he had pushed one specific book aside twice already with no intention of even picking it up. Each time he looked at he got the strange feeling that it was just an ordinary book with no worthwhile information and yet he didn't even know what was in it. In a strange sort of way, it seemed that the book itself was taking steps to make sure that it didn't stand out in any way.

He tried to open it several times but everytime he picked it up he seemed to lose interest in it until his curiosity came back several moments after putting it down and stepping away. Since he had absolutely no experience with such things, he asked Twinkle to get Bill. He was about to ask for Snape as well before he remembered that he and Blaise were both at Hogwarts. The very thought made him shudder. And to think, the five years he spent at Hogwarts he had always thought that Professor McGonagall to be the most sensable of their professors.

He certainly hoped that whatever information the book contained was well worth the agrivation but he also realised that it could be just one more example of the paranoia that Slytherin had obviously decended into during the last years of his life.

Bill entered the library a few minutes later wondering what could be so important that Harry would 'sic a house elf on him'. He found Harry pacing back and forth along the far wall looking thoroughly confused and annoyed.

"What's wrong?"

"That book." Harry replied simply as he pointed to the large tome that had been set aside as if it explained the whole situation. Feeling more confused than he had in a long time, Bill picked up the indicated book and flipped through it for a moment before looking back to Harry, waiting for an explaination. Seeing that the older man had no apparent problem, Harry snatched the book out of his hands and threw it back down onto the table just as fast before groaning at the injustice in the world. He had never really been the studious type but this manuscript was really starting to peak his curiosity and the fact that he seemed unable to read it was really irritating.

"Did you, by any chance, notice if it was written in Parseltongue?" He asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, it is, but why are you asking me? Why didn't you just look for yourself instead of throwing it about like a tempramental child?" Bill snapped back while looking at the young man as if he were insane.

"Because I can't..." Harry cut himself off as he was hit with a sudden thought. "Its warded against other Parselmouths. Hmm, why wouldn't they just ward it against everyone?"

"Because not everyone can read it." Bill explained slowly as if he were talking to a small child or even a family pet.

"What do you mean?"

"Harry, it makes absolutely no sense to cast general shield charms around something that very few people could use or understand. It would simply stretch the power of the original spell to far, making it less effective. In the case of this book, if it is indeed warded against Parselmouths, it wouldn't make a lick of sense to use extra power to keep_ everyone _away when the vast majority of the population is incapable of reading the language. So what you have to do is narrow down your targets. Muggles are incapable of activating most magical items so if that is what you are hiding, eliminating muggles from the spell would greatly increase its effectiveness since they make up about eighty five percent of the world's population. Depending on the power of the caster, it could be absolutely impossible for you to overcome a ward targeted specificly at Parselmouths simply because there are only a handful of them in the world. It would be too much for you to overcome." Bill gasped several times as he carefully scanned for the different wards and for signs of any possible booby traps, of which there were a great many. His excitement seemed to grow every minute until he finished.

"Whoever cast these spells must have been a certifiable genius, Harry. But even that word doesn't do him or her enough credit. I have honestly never seen anything like this before, this far surpasses even the nastier defenses I came across in The Valley of the Kings." Bill explained as he beamed with excitement.

"Do you want me to get Professor Flitwick to help you again?"

"Absolutely not! This is one baby I intend to tackle on my own. Although, you may want to talk to Professor Dumbledore and see if you can get your hands on a recording sphere, I want to be able to show this to the lads back in Egypt. It may not have anything to do with what is going on down there but they could certainly benefit from going over this process step by step as we do with all our other jobs. Come to think of it, Gringotts may find some of this invaluable as well."

The book itself, and possibly anything in the general area, would most likely be destroyed if there were any major mistakes made and, unfortunately, once he started he would not be able to stop until all wards were deactivated so he fully intended on taking a long nap before he began. Since he intended on starting that very night, Harry contacted Albus about the recording sphere that he had mentioned. After explaining the situation the old man agreed to 'aquire' one from the Ministry as long as he and Flitwick would be able observe since he was intrigued by Bill's excitement and knew that Filius would never let him forget it if he did not gain him admitance as well. Watching a practical application of powerful charms was only surpassed by teaching and casting such charms on the tiny professor's list of enjoyable things to do.

As Bill rested up and Dumbledore and Flitwick go busy warding the already heavily shielded basement, where Bill would work, Harry relaxed in the library with Tonks as he worked on his animagus exercizes. For the last two weeks, under McGonagall's watchful eye, he has been able to change his arms and his legs but has thus far been unable to make a full transformation. Godric, during their now weekly training sessions in Harry's dreams, had tried to help him in this field as well but it would seem that outside of defense he wasn't a particularly good teacher. During one of these 'dream sessions', Harry brought up Albus' rather understandable concerns regarding the wards that surround Hogwarts.

"Its simple really. You are my recognized magical and blood heir, therefore you have a certain amount of control over the school itself. If you don't want anyone to know you were there, not even the Headmaster will be able to find you unless he did it the old fashioned way."

"Um, does that mean that Voldemort could do the same?" Harry asked with concern. The idea that Slytherin's heir could simply walk right into the school without Dumbledore being the wiser was a bit disturbing. He was already aloud to enter during Harry's first year but he assumed that that was do to him being a mere spirit that was using another as a host.

"No, he cannot, for two reasons. The first is that any purpose he has for being at Hogwarts would undoubtably be nefarious in nature and the castle itself would not allow that if it could do anything to stop it. The second, and more obvious reason is that Voldemort is no longer recognized as Salazar's heir. When his killing curse faired and destroyed his original body he effectively ended the Slytherin bloodline and when he created a new one his magic had mutated horribly to the point where Hogwarts would no longer recognize it as Tom Riddle's much less an heir of one of her founders."

"Oh, well that's a load off my mind."

"Get off your ass and lets go!" Bill ordered with a large grin as he entered the library after waking. Harry was pulled from his thoughts at the eldest Weasley son's abrupt entrence and quickly stood to join him.

"Oh, shit! Sorry Tonks." He exclaimed as he reached down to help Tonks to her feet. Unfortunately she had been laying back on the couch with her head in Harry's lap as she read so naturally she went tumbling to the floor as Harry quickly stood.

Bill began to work immediately after entering the small holding cell. The book rested on a small table that had been brought in and the small cot that rested against the wall was removed to give him plenty of space. Once he had entered the cell, the door was closed and sealed to be sure that any disaster would be completely contained, or so they hoped. Dumbledore had conjured a large sofa where Harry, Susan, Marietta and the Hogwarts professors sat to watch as Harry cast the spell to make the door transparent.

The first thing Bill did was remove five intricately carved blue crystals from a worn leather pouch and carefully placed them on the table beside the book before removing a small jar of a strange black powder. It looked just like ground coal but gave off a weird sense of power. After tapping each crystal with is wand and speaking the necessary incantation, each rose up to about two feet above the book and formed a perfect pentagon. Careful not to get any on his hands, Bill opened the jar and sprinkled a fare amount of the powder into the center of the crystal formation where it immediately began to spin, reminding Harry strongly of the satalite images of hurricanes he had seen while living at the Dursley's.

"This technique is only a little more than a century old so it is unlikely that the wards will be able to withstand it completely considering the book was obviously written long before then." Dumbledore commented as he watched with intrest.

"Well, you have to take into account the fact that Bill had never seen much of the magic that surrounds that book. You can't exactly say that it will work simply because the technique for breaking the wards is newer than the wards themselves. It is entirely possible that whoever cast those spells had their own personal style that would react differently to a curse breaker than other, more standard, wards." Marietta admonished before she realized who she was talking to and blushed. Dumbledore smiled and nodded in agreement while Professor Flitwick beamed with pride.

With a wave of his wand, the crystals began to spin quickly as well and the center of the black powder began to descend much like a tornado until it was all but an inch above the book. One by one, each crystal burst into light and small beams were released that connected them all before one from each shot out at an angle from the bottom where they all hit the hard leather cover at the same point. Almost immediately a small purple orb seemed to rise up out of the book before it was sucked up by the 'tornado' and when it reached the top it was blasted into nothingness with a loud detonation that lightly shook the entire house causing Bill to stagger back some as he tried to shake off the ringing in his ears.

"My word." Flitwick breathed deeply. "I've never seen a detenation that strong before."

"And judging by the look on his face, I would assume Bill hasn't either. And we're behind the silencing wards. So was that it?"

"No, Mr. Potter. That was merely one of the wards being broken and as I understand it, there are many." It would seem that their little explosion had grabbed the attention of many others as they arrived downstairs to see what was going on. In the end, Harry had to remove the nullification charms on the cells on either side of the one Bill was working in so that he could cast the same transparency charm on the side walls of those cells in order to allow the others to view what was going on without having everyone crowded in the outside corridor around the door.

For several hours Bill continued, casting spell after spell, some even Dumbledore or Flitwick had never heard of, as his crystals destroyed what wards they could although they took quite a bit more time than normal due to the power in which they were cast. As the sixth hour rolled around it was obvious to everyone watching that he was just about out of magical power, he simply didn't think that it could possibly be this hard.

"Get in there and help him!" Harry snapped at the charms professor as he watched Bill struggling more and more with every incantation. The last thing they needed was for him to make a mistake in his exhaustion and get himself killed.

Flitwick had jumped to his feet, wand in hand, and approached the door but he was already to late. With one last spell, another ward was destroyed but much more violently than the others. The shockwave threw Bill into the wall behind him and literally destroyed all shielding around the cell but thankfully was not able to damage the infrastucture itself. Within seconds, everyone that had been observing had either piled into the cell or were waiting anxiously out in the corridor as Dumbledore looked Bill over as he groaned quietly and held his head in his hands. Harry immediately called for Beckle's assistance and she quickly shooed everyone away.

While the house elf took everything in hand and assured him that Bill would be alright, Harry approached the book that had remained unharmed by the blast. Shards of the blue crystals littered the floor and table but he paid them no attention as he picked up the leather bound volume, relieved to feel the absence of the magic that had prevented him from even holding it for to long. Because of all the trouble Bill had gone through, he was naturally a little nervous about opening it, not wanting to simply find that it was indeed nothing more than more ranting from Salazar Slytherin or some other inconsequential information of a nameless Parselmouth. Taking a deep breath and shaking his head slightly, Harry finally opened the book and began to read.

At first there was nothing of import but as he read on his eyes began to widen in shock, which everyone seemed to take notice of. Soon though, his surprise wore off and he could do nothing but laugh, almost hysterically, as he flipped through the pages. While the information stored within these pages was by no means meant to be amusing, except for maybe the author, Harry just couldn't help himself due to the irony of the situation. Several times, various members of the Raiders, Dumbledore or Flitwick would try to get his attention but he ignored them all until after he had read well over thirty pages or so.

"Well, now I know why it was so heavily warded and why Bill had so much trouble overcoming its power." Everyone just stared at Harry, waiting for him to continue but as the moments wore on they became increasingly annoyed.

"Well?" Tonks asked with a great deal of irritation which brought a wide grin to Harry's face.

"This book was written by Merlin himself, he is the one that cast the warding spells." He stated matter of factly and began laughing once again at the shocked faces that stared back at him. "It would seem that there was a great deal of information about himself that he didn't want anyone else to know so he recorded it in Parseltongue for himself and then warded it against anyone else capable of reading it."

"Merlin was a Parselmouth?" John asked stupidly, temporarily forgetting his grief.

"Yes, he was. He was capable of communicating with many different forms of life. A fact many choose to forget when holding to the belief that 'all Parselmouths are evil'. They've accepted Harry's ability because we made it well known that he wasn't originally born with it. But what could have been so important that he would take such steps to protect it?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"The fact that Merlin wasn't he only name he went by in his lifetime."

"He also went by Myrrdin, everyone knows that."

"Not that one. I'm sure at least some of you will recognize the name Merwyn." Harry told them with big smile.

"Merwyn the Malicious, the creator of the Unforgivables?" Dumbledore exclaimed loudly in disbelief. No one seemed to take notice of the Headmaster actually losing his normally calm appearence since they themselves were also far from composed.

"Yes." Harry answered happily. "It would seem that he liked to keep the more extreme aspects of his personality separate from one another. He gave up his birth name of Myrrdin and when he was advising Arthur, and other such things, he went by Merlin. But for his more nefarious works and activities he would disguise himself and use the name Merwyn. He seemed to take great delight in the fact that he was actually the most revered and also the most feared wizard of the time. Oh, and he was also married to Morgana Le Fey." 'THUMP'

Harry howled with laughter at seeing Dumbledore faint as everyone else stared at him with wide eyes and open mouths. It was absolutely the funniest thing he had seen all summer. Granted, this was information that would probably never be made public but it didn't mean he couldn't enjoy it. Concidering there were only three people that he knew of that would be capable of reading this book he figured that no one would believe him even if he chose to make the story known. They would simply call him a liar and say that he was starved for attention of something of that nature. He found it laughable that the man most wizards and witches looked up to, almost as if he were a god, could easily be considered one of the darkest wizards of all time.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, MARRIED?" Albus shouted immediately after Flitwick hit him with an _enervate _spell, causing all those around him to jump in surprise.

"I mean exactly that."

"But Mr. Potter, Merlin and Morgana were bitter enemies." Professor Flitwick squeaked in protest.

"No, they were married, and had a few rather violent, um, 'lovers quarrels'." Dumbledore, who liked the idea that many people thought of him as a sort of modern day Merlin, left the room in a run to quickly floo back to Hogwarts to get Blaise so that he could make sure Harry wasn't simply having some fun with them. As he was gone, Harry continued to read, almost completely ignoring those around him as he quitely giggled to himself at the irony. By this time, both Tonks and Susan seemed to shake off their shock and also found the humor in the situation even if they were a bit disturbed by it. They had grown up revering the man, after all.

It didn't take long at all for Albus to return with the incredably confused Snape 'family' in tow. Knowing exactly what Dumbledore was after, Harry immediately handed the book to Blaise and told her to start reading. She looked at everyone around her in bewilderment before complying. Dumbledore groaned in disappointment when her eyes flew open and her jaw dropped after going through the first few pages.

"Keep reading, it gets better, I promise." Harry told her with a smirk. After reading nearly to the point Harry had reached, she handed it back to him and claimed that she had to go lie down, confirming what Harry had told everyone before she left. Not to be dissuaded, both Dumbledore and Flitwick ran several scanning and testing charms over the book in the hopes of finding it to be a forgery. Unfortunately, for their peace of mind anyway, it seemed to be genuine, dating back almost fourteen centuries.

For the last two weeks of the summer break Harry had very little to do since Voldemort had pretty much stopped all activities and the Death Eaters were all very well hidden. He and the Raiders were left with little choice but to continue their almost constant training and speculate on what Voldemort could be planning that would make him feel like he was the one in control once more but with very little evidence they really didn't have anything to work with. Bill recovered quickly and although he was astonished by what the book contained, it was greatly overshadowed by his pride of defeating wards set in place by Merlin himself.

Harry did meet a couple of times with Remus, Moody and Shacklebolt, to discuss the general make up and flow of the new dueling course. It was decided striaght off that Harry would be paired with Moody, since he and Kingsley both prefered to be in the others company only if absolutely neccessary. Also this way both groups would have an experienced Auror directly involved with their training. Remus originally wanted to divided the students by year, third, forth and fifth years in one group with the sixth and seventh in the other, until Harry pointed out that if they simply split them up, with an equal number of students from each year in both groups, the younger students would probably progress at a faster rate if they learned stronger techniques and spells from those years older than them. Unfortunately this insightful recommendation earned him the 'honor' of being the instructor to open the mass meeting that would be held after dinner on september 2, when they would divide the students into their respective groups and explain just how the course would be laid out. A duty he was not to thrilled about.

On the plus side, Arthur Weasley eventually chose to take Harry up on his offer to help train the Raiders. He would begin meeting with them regularly after the utter 'chaos' of the start of the new school term died down. In the end it was decided that they would inform Stevens of his involvement since he could easily arrange certain 'work' for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office that will keep him out of the Ministry on a routine basis as well as any overly time consuming work for the Order. Everyone was thrilled about being trained by an Unspeakable, even Snape, though he didn't show it, but they chose to keep the information from Bill. They hadn't told him about Snape's theory about his father's occupation since they honesty didn't know if it was correct or not and by this time they thought it would be incredibly amusing to see his reaction when Arthur finally showed up.

"So, are you ready to go back to Hogwarts and play nice with the other children?" Tonks asked with an impish grin as she jumped into Harry's lap early in the afternoon of September first. He had to leave within the hour to attend a staff meeting before the welcoming feast for the returning students, which would include Marietta so that she could take her NEWT exams. Although she still fully intended to work with the Raiders whenever she could. Amelia wasn't to thrilled that Susan wouldn't be returning but with her life still threatened by Voldemort she knew that she was safer where she was.

"I'm always ready to go to Hogwarts, whatever the reason. I love that castle more than any home I have ever been in. As to question number two, well, I'm not up for playing nice with much of anyboby right now."

"Well then, I suggest you get your lazy ass up and get ready." She said as she pulled him to his feet and slapped him on the backside. Harry chuckled lightly as he gave her a peck on the lips before heading up to his room to change into a set of robes. In truth, he wasn't all that thrilled about attending the feast. As he said, he loved Hogwarts but he didn't really want to deal with such a large group of people not to mention the fact that there would probably be a few Ministry personel present as well. No, we was not looking forward to it one bit.

END

The Sequel, Harry Potter and the Dogs of War, will be up within the next week or two. Thanks to everyone that has been reading and waiting patiently, or impatiently, during my rather irratic update schedule over the nearly two years it took to get this far. Hopefully it won't take nearly as long to complete the next but you never can tell. Once again, thanks for all the support.


End file.
